Antioxidant Role of Carvacrol Against Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity Induced by Propiconazole in Rats

Toxicological screening of zinc oxide nanoparticles in mongrel dogs after seven days of repeated subcutaneous injections

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have recently been applied in various veterinary and medical fields, however, the toxicological evaluations of these NPs in dogs are lacking. Therefore, the current study is designed to assess the impact of exposure to daily subcutaneous (SC) injections of ZnO NPs at different concentrations on various organs of mongrel dogs. Nine dogs were randomly divided into three groups (n = 3 for each) as follows: group (1) served as the control group, whereas groups (2&3) received SC injections of 50 and 100 ppm ZnO NPs (8 and 16 μg/kg bwt), respectively, once/day for 7 days. Our results revealed that ZnO NPs disrupted the oxidant/antioxidant balance in the lungs, liver, and kidneys of dogs in a dose-dependent manner. ZnO NPs induced dose-dependent radiological, ultrasonographical, and histopathological alterations in various organs especially lungs, spleen, liver, and kidneys along with disturbance in both liver and kidney biomarkers levels. Most organs of both ZnO NPs receiving groups displayed strong caspase-3 protein expression. Additionally, it upregulates the transcriptase levels of TNF-α and VEGF, as well as downregulates the antiapoptotic gene IL-10 in lung, kidney, and liver tissue homogenates. It was concluded that the daily SC injections of dogs with ZnO NPs at concentrations of 50 and 100 ppm caused extensive oxidative stress damage in various organs which provoked serious pathological processes such as apoptosis and inflammation.

Chitosan nanoparticle encapsulation increased the prophylactic efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum RM1 against AFM1-induced hepatorenal toxicity in rats

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a significant contaminant of food, particularly dairy products and can resist various industrial processes. Several probiotic strains like Lactobacillus plantarum are known to reduce aflatoxin availability in synthetic media and some food products. The current work investigated the possible chitosan coating prophylactic efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum RM1 nanoemulsion (CS-RM1) against AFM1-induced hepatorenal toxicity in rats. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 7) as follows: group 1 received normal saline, group 2 received CS-RM1 (1mL contains 6.7 × 1010 CFU), group 3 received AFM1 (60 µg/kg bwt), and group 4 received both CS-RM1(1 mL contains 6.7 × 1010 CFU) and AFM1 (60 µg/kg bwt). All receiving materials were given to rats daily via oral gavage for 28 days. AFM1 caused a significant elevation in serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, uric acid, urea, and creatinine with marked alterations in protein and lipid profiles. Additionally, AFM1 caused marked pathological changes in the liver and kidneys, such as cellular necrosis, vascular congestion, and interstitial inflammation. AFM1 also increased the MDA levels and decreased several enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Liver and kidney sections of the AFM1 group displayed strong caspase-3, TNF-α, and iNOS immunopositivity. Co-treatment of CS-RM1 with AFM1 significantly lowered the investigated toxicological parameter changes and markedly improved the microscopic appearance of liver and kidneys. In conclusion, AFM1 induces hepatorenal oxidative stress damage via ROS overgeneration, which induces mitochondrial caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and inflammation. Furthermore, CS-RM1 can reduce AFM1 toxicity in both the liver and kidneys. The study recommends adding CS-RM1 to milk and milk products for AFM1-elimination.

Composition and chronic toxicity of dry methanol-aqueous extract of wild-growing Satureja montana

INTRODUCTION

Saturejamontana is a wild growing medicinal plant, part of the Lamiaceae family. This herb is well known as a source of phenolic compounds, which can vary in a broad range depending on different factors and exert many pharmacological activities.

Carvacrol protects against carbonyl osmolyte-induced structural modifications and aggregation to serum albumin: Insights from physicochemical and molecular interaction studies

The robust use of osmolytes (i.e., polyols and sugars) in the key therapeutic regimens/formulations has questioned their impact beyond the stability of therapeutic proteins as these osmolytes trigger structural alterations into proteins including misfolding and subsequent aggregation into amyloid fibrils. Therefore, the current study is the first to delineate the inhibitory effect of carvacrol (CRV) on the carbonyl osmolyte-induced aggregation as well as structural alterations to the bovine serum albumin (BSA) via a set of physicochemical as well as artificial intelligence (AI)-based molecular docking studies. Our initial findings from physicochemical investigations revealed that CRV exhibits substantial protection to BSA under carbonyl osmolyte stress as evident by the compromised hyperchromicity, Schiff's bases, carbonyl and hydroxymethyl furfural content, reduced fluorescent signals, low Rayleigh scattering and prevention of covalent modifications at Lys and Arg residues. The protection against aggregate formation by CRV was further confirmed through the reduced amyloid-specific congo red absorbance as well as fluorescent signals recorded after adding the fibril-specific extrinsic fluorophore probes (i.e., ThT and ANS). The AI-based molecular docking analysis further revealed that CRV (ΔG: -4.96 kcal/mol) competes with d-fructose (ΔG: -4.40 kcal/mol) to mask the Lys and Arg residues to restrict the osmolyte-mediated protein modifications. In conclusion, CRV exhibits substantial protective impact against carbonyl osmolyte-induced structural alterations and protein misfolding and aggregation.

The modulatory effect of carvacrol on viral shedding titer and acute phase response in broiler chickens experimentally infected with infectious bronchitis virus

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is one of the major respiratory diseases of broiler causing huge economic losses. The inability to control IBV using different vaccination programs owing to the high mutation rate and recombination ability of the RNA genome generates IBV variants. This study was designed to give a specific perspective of carvacrol effect on early immune response, viral shedding titer, oxidative stress, serum biochemical parameters and clinical consequences in broilers experimentally infected by IBV. One hundred and twenty-one-day old commercial broiler chicks were equally divided into 4 groups. First group was considered as control. Second group was given carvacrol, third group was infected with IBV and fourth group was given carvacrol and infected with IBV. Infection with variant IBV induced significant upregulation of chicken interferon-inducible transmembrane protein 3 (chIFITM3) gene in trachea, elevations in serum levels of Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (α1-AGP) and Interleukin 6 (IL-6), total leucocytic count (TLC), heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and oxidative stress in lung and kidney tissues. Beside, histopathological changes in trachea, lung and kidney induced by IBV, elevation of kidney function tests was detected. The pretreatment with carvacrol significantly reduced viral shedding titer, chIFITM3 gene expression, IL-6 and α1-AGP levels, leucocytic response and H/L ratio with minimization of clinical signs intensity. Also, carvacrol relieved oxidative stress, ameliorated the increased uric acid level and histopathological alterations in kidney and lung caused by viral infection.

Protective effect of starch-stabilized selenium nanoparticles against melamine-induced hepato-renal toxicity in male albino rats

Melamine and its analogues are illegally added to raise the apparent protein content in foods. The elevated concentrations of these compounds cause adverse effects in humans and animals. In this contribution, the protective effects of the synthesized starch-stabilized selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs@starch) on melamine-induced hepato-renal toxicity have been systematically investigated. The Se-NPs@starch were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping analysis, TEM, and FT-IR. Starch plays a crucial role in the stabilization and dispersion of Se NPs, as noticed from the TEM and EDS investigations. Furthermore, the atomic ratio of Se distribution over the starch surface is approximately 1.67%. The current study was conducted on four groups of adult male rats, and the oral daily treatments for 28 days were as follows: group I served as control, group II received Se-NPs@starch, group III was exposed to melamine, while group IV was treated with melamine and Se-NPs@starch. The results reveal a significant alteration in the histoarchitecture of both hepatic and renal tissues induced by melamine. Furthermore, elevated liver and kidney function markers, high malondialdehyde, and increased expression levels of apoptosis-related genes besides a reduction in GSH and expression levels of antioxidant genes were observed in the melamine-exposed group. Interestingly, the administration of the Se-NPs@starch resulted in remarkable protection of rats against melamine-induced toxicity through increasing the antioxidant capacity and inhibiting oxidative damage. Collectively, this study provides affordable starch-stabilized Se-NPs with potent biological activity, making them auspicious candidates for prospective biomedical applications.

Ameliorative effect of N-acetylcysteine against glyphosate-induced hepatotoxicity in adult male albino rats: histopathological, biochemical, and molecular studies

Glyphosate (GLP) is the most commonly used herbicide that presents many hazards to the environment and living organisms. The present study aimed to explore hepatotoxic properties of GLP on adult albino rats, and the ability of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to ameliorate these toxic effects. Thirty mature male albino rats were distributed into 3 groups (10 rats/group): Group I (C) a negative control, Group II (GLP) orally administered Roundup 0.8503 ml/kg/day which contain GLP (375 mg/kg) (1/10 of LD50) by gavage needle, and Group III (NAC+ GLP) received NAC (160 mg/kg, 1h before Roundup) by gavage needle and Roundup (0.8503 ml/kg) orally for 6 weeks. Blood and liver samples were collected and processed for biochemical, histopathological, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical investigations. Group II displayed a significant elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, as well as overexpression of apoptotic markers. The total antioxidant capacity "TAC" and mRNA expression of NRF2 were significantly decreased. Concerning the histopathological findings, there were various degenerative changes as the hepatocytes showed hydropic swelling with nuclear pyknosis. These alterations were confirmed ultrastructurally as most of the cytoplasmic organelles were lost and the mitochondria appeared to deteriorate. Immunohistochemical results showed intense immunoreactivity against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and caspase-3. NAC administration before GLP partially ameliorates these alterations. ALT, AST, and MDA levels as well as expression of apoptotic markers were significantly reduced. TAC and mRNA expression of NRF2 were significantly increased. Histopathological alterations were partially improved as the hepatocytes returned normal and ultrastructurally they showed nearly normal cytoplasmic organelles. Additionally, the intense expression of PCNA and caspase-3 was significantly reduced. We concluded that NAC can ameliorate most of the adverse effects of GLP exposure through its antioxidant property and free radicals scavenging capacity.