dose-dependent inhibitory effect of ferulic acid, a dietary antioxidant on nicotine-induced tissue oxidative stress in experimental rats

the present study was aimed at elucidating the protective effect of ferulic acid (fa), a natural polyphenol against nicotine-induced tissue damage, including lung, liver and kidney of experimental rats. female albino rats of wistar stain were used for the experimental study. lung toxicity was induced by subcutaneous injection of nicotine at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg body weight (5 days a week, for 22 weeks) and fa was given simultaneously by intragastric intubations for 22 weeks. to establish the most effective protective support, we have used three different doses of fa- 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg body weight. the levels of lipid peroxidative indices viz., thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hydroperoxides, nitric oxide and protein carbonyl content in lung, liver and kidney of nicotine-treated rats increased significantly in nicotine-treated rats when compared to control, which were brought down to near normal in fa-treated groups. the body weight gain of rats and endogenous antioxidant status viz., superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione were found to be significantly decreased in lung, liver and kidney of nicotine-treated group, which were significantly increased in fa-administered groups. the dose 20 mg/kg body weight was found to be more effective than the other two doses. our data suggest that fa exerts its protective effect by modulating lipid peroxidation and augmenting antioxidant defense syste m in tissues.