PROTECTIVE ROLE OF VITAMIN C AND GREEN TEA EXTRACT ON MALATHION-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY AND NEPHROTOXICITY IN RATS

The present study was designed to determine the modulating effect of green tea and vitamin C against adverse effects of malathion. Animals were divided into four groups 5 rats /group). Group one was used as a control. Group two given malathion (50 mg/kg/day; 1/50 of the LD50 for four weeks). Group three and Group four were given malathion (50 mg/kg/day; 1/50 of the LD50 for four weeks) plus vitamin C (200 mg/kg/day) and plus green tea (36 mg/kg/day) respectively. At the end of the fourth week, the malathion-treated group had significantly lower Red Blood Cell count (RBCs), Hemoglobin concentration (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV%) and leucocytes (WBCs) than the control group. Compared to the control group, the malathion-treated group had significantly higher serum Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, creatinine and uric acid levels than the control group. The malathion treated rats also had significantly lower serum total protein, albumin and globulin levels than the control group, but the malathion plus vitamin C and malathion plus green tea groups did not differ from the control group in terms of these parameters. Moreover, concomitant vitamin C and green tea treatment significantly normalized, at least partially, all of the other hematological and biochemical parameters that were altered by malathion. Liver tissue homogenate in malathion treated group had lower Glutathione (GSH), Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-PX) and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) levels accompanied with higher level of Malondialdehyde (MDA) than the control group. Histopathological studies revealed that the malathion-treated, malathion plus vitamin C and malathion plus green tea treated groups exhibited histopathological changes in liver and kidney tissues, although some pathological features were only observed in the malathion-treated group. Thus, vitamin C and green tea can reduce malathion hepatotoxicity and nephrptoxicity.