Protective Effect of Curcuma Longa or Nigella Sativa on Aflatoxin B1-Induced Hepato-Toxicity in Rats in Relation to Food Safety on Public Health

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring substances produced by fungi growing on food and animal feed. Aflatoxins are the most toxic group of mycotoxins, and they are produced by two species of the Aspergillus. Aflatoxin constitutes a real threat to the health of livestock as well as humans. Aflatoxins especially aflatoxin B 1 are known to be genotoxic and carcinogenic, can produce acute necrosis, cirrhosis and carcinoma of the liver. Curcuma longa (curcumin), Nigella sativa (black seed) are extensively used in cuisine and in traditional medicines so we tried to investigate their role as hepatoprotective agents from natural products (origin) against AFB 1 -induced hepatotoxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-239gm (mean: 215.5 ±1.27) divided into 4 groups (20 rats each). G1-G2 was fed normal control diet, G3 & G4: Fed normal diet supplemented with Curcuma longa (curcumin), Nigella sativa (black seed) respectively. G2, G3 and G4 were given single intraperitoneal injection of AFB 1 at the beginning of the experiment. The experiment lasted for 6 weeks after injection. After that rats were scarified. Organs as liver, kidney, heart, spleen, testes and heart were removed, washed, weight, put into formalin for histopathological examination. Blood was drawn on plain tubes and tubes with anticoagulant, centrifuged to get serum and plasma respectively. Serum and plasma were subjected to biochemical analysis (ALT, AST, Alk Phos, LDH, urea, creatinine, uric acid, plasma total protein, malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma and liver and some immunoglobulin biomarkers as IgG, IgM, IgA). The increased levels of serum enzymes (ALT, AST, Alk Ph, and LDH), and urea, creatinine, uric acid, total protein observed in rats treated with AFB 1 were greatly reduced in the rats treated with N. sativa or Curcuma longa along with AFB 1 . The immunoglobulin biomarkers as IgG, IgM, IgA, were decreased in rats treated with AFB 1 , but they increased after treatment with N. sativa or Curcuma longa. These biochemical observations were supported by histopathological examination of liver sections. Treatment with N. sativa or Curcuma longa along with aflatoxin ameliorates aflatoxin-induced changes in serum Correspondence to: Dr. Ghada Z.A. Soliman, E-mail: [email protected] parameters as liver and kidney function tests returning their level to near normal.