| Toxicological and Pathophysiological Effects of a Pesticide : Protective Role of the Medicinal Plant Cynara cardunculus |
| Paper ID : 1303-IGA |
| Authors |
|
ahlem soussi *1, Imen kALLEL2, Sameh BEN MABROUK3, Abdelfattah FEKI2 1Faculty of sciences of sfax 2Faculty of Sciences 3National School of Engineers |
| Abstract |
| Background : This study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of Cynara cardunculus microspheres, a medicinal plant with well-established bioactive properties, against deltamethrin-induced toxicity in ex vivo hepatic fluids, liver tissues from Swiss mice. C. cardunculus is particularly noteworthy for its high phenolic content, which underlies its strong antioxidant and free radical–scavenging activities. It also demonstrates the ability to chelate iron- and hydrogen peroxide–derived radicals, along with inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase. Material and methods : Liver tissue extracts were prepared by homogenizing the recovered livers at 4 °C in 2 ml of Tris-buffered saline (TBS) using an Ultra-Turrax homogenizer, followed by centrifugation at 9000 rpm for 20 min at 4 °C. The resulting supernatants were aliquoted and stored at −80 °C for subsequent biochemical assays, including total protein quantification, TBARS (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Results : Exposure of hepatic tissues to deltamethrin for one hour led to pronounced lipid peroxidation and significant increases in antioxidant defense markers (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH) in both hepatic fluids and tissues. Comparable elevations in enzymatic activities (SOD and CAT) were observed in mitochondria, indicating mitochondrial stress. In parallel, substantial increases in hepatic biomarkers (ALT, AST, LDH, and ALP) were detected in hepatic fluids, confirming liver dysfunction. Co-treatment with C. cardunculus significantly alleviated these biochemical alterations, reduced oxidative stress, and restored antioxidant homeostasis, thereby limiting lipid peroxidation and enzyme leakage. These biochemical findings were supported by histopathological analyses, which demonstrated preserved hepatic architecture. Conclusion : Collectively, these results highlight the hepatoprotective potential of Cynara cardunculus and support its role as a natural source of bioactive compounds with demonstrated protective effects, including the ability to counteract pesticide-induced hepatotoxicity |
| Keywords |
| Cynara cardunculus, Deltamethrin, Hepatotoxicity, Oxidative stress, Antioxidants. |
| Status: Accepted |
