Flavonoid compounds from the red marine alga Alsidium corallinum protect against potassium bromate-induced nephrotoxicity in adult mice.

Potassium bromate (KBrO3 ), an environmental pollutant, is a well-known human carcinogen and a potent nephrotoxic agent. Currently, natural products have built a well-recognized role in the management of many diseases induced by pollutants. As potent natural sources of bioactive compounds, marine algae have been demonstrated to be rich in novel secondary metabolites with a broad range of biological functions. In this study, adults male mice were orally treated for 15 days with KBrO3 (0.5 g/L) associated or not with extract of Alsidium corallinum, a red Mediterranean alga. In vitro study demonstrated that algal extract has antioxidant efficacy attributable to the presence of flavonoids and polyphenols. Among these, Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed A. corallinum is rich in kaempferol, apigenin, catechin, and quercetin flavonoids. In vivo study showed that supplementation with the alga significantly prevented KBrO3 -induced nephrotoxicity as indicated by plasma biomarkers (urea, uric acid, and creatinin levels) and oxidative stress related parameters (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione, vitamin C, hydrogen peroxide, protein oxidation products) in kidney tissue. The corrective effect of A. corallinum on KBrO3 -induced kidney injury was also supported by molecular and histopathological observations. In conclusion, it was established that the red alga, thanks to its bioactive compounds, effectively counteracts toxic effects of KBrO3 and could be a useful coadjuvant agent for treatment of this pollutant poisonings. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1475-1486, 2017.

Altered hepatic mRNA expression of immune response-associated DNA damage in mice liver induced by potassium bromate: Protective role of vanillin.

Chronic exposure to potassium bromate (KBrO3 ), a toxic halogen existing widely in the environment, environment through contaminated drinking water, has become a global problem of public health. The present study investigates the protective role of vanillin against KBrO3 induced oxidative stress, distruption in inflammatory cytokines expression, DNA damage, and histopathological changes. Adult mice were exposed orally to KBrO3 (2g/L of drinking water) for 2 weeks The co-administration of vanillin to the KBrO3 -treated mice significantly prevented the plasma transaminases increase in. Furthermore, it inhibited hepatic lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) and protein carbonyl (PCO) formation and attenuated the KBrO3 -mediated depletion of enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidants catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities and glutathione level in the liver. In addition, vanillin markedly attenuated the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, and COX2 and prevented KBrO3 -induced hepatic cell alteration and necrosis, as indicated by histopathological data. DNA damage, as assessed by the alkaline comet assay, was also found to be low in the co-treated group. Thus, these findings show that vanillin acts as potent chemopreventive agent against KBrO3 -mediated liver oxidative stress and genotoxicity through its antioxidant properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1796-1807, 2016.

Oxidative stress and histopathological changes induced by methylthiophanate, a systemic fungicide, in blood, liver and kidney of adult rats.

BACKGROUND: Methyl-thiophanate (MT), a fungicide largely used in agriculture throughout the world including Tunisia, protects many vegetables, fruits and field crops against a wide spectrum of fungal diseases. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a possible mechanism involved in MT toxicity on non-target organism. METHODS: In the present study, the effect of MT injected intraperitoneally to adult rats at 300 or 500 mg/kg of body weight was studied on blood, liver and kidney. RESULTS: Our results showed 3 days after MT injection, a significant decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrit values. A disruption in total white blood cells and platelets also occurred. Accordingly, an increased in malondialdehyde, H2O2 and advanced oxidation protein levels in liver and kidney were noted with the two doses. A significant change in plasma biomarkers and organ enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities were observed after MT treatment. The modifications in biochemical parameters were substantiated by histopathological data. CONCLUSION: These data confirmed the pro-oxidant effects of this fungicide. Accordingly, care must be taken to avoid mammalian and human exposure to MT.

Scorpion peptides: potential use for new drug development.

Several peptides contained in scorpion fluids showed diverse array of biological activities with high specificities to their targeted sites. Many investigations outlined their potent effects against microbes and showed their potential to modulate various biological mechanisms that are involved in immune, nervous, cardiovascular, and neoplastic diseases. Because of their important structural and functional diversity, it is projected that scorpion-derived peptides could be used to develop new specific drugs. This review summarizes relevant findings improving their use as valuable tools for new drugs development.