Argan oil (Argania spinosa L) Provides protection against mercuric

Abstract

The present study was undertaken; to evaluate the protective effect of argan oil against mercuric chloride induced oxidative stress in experimental rats.  Adult male albinos wistar rats randomly divided into four groups, were the first was served as a control, whereas the remaining groups respectively treated with: argan oil (5ml/ kg b.w; by gavage), mercuric chloride (0.25 mg/kg body weight i.p) and combination of argan oil and HgCl₂. Change in liver enzyme activities, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level, antioxidants and reduced glutathione (GSH) contents were determined after 3weeks experimental period.  Exposure of rats to mercuric chloride caused a significant increase the lipid peroxidation level along with corresponding decrease in the reduced glutathione and various antioxidant enzymes in liver. And increase in serum: total billirubin, direct billirubin levels, APL, LDH and transaminases activities. Supplementation of argan oil resulted in decreased of lipid peroxidation level and in the serum: AST, ALT, APL and LDH activities were decreased along with increase in liver GSH level. The activities of antioxidants enzymes: glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione –S-transferase (GST) were also concomitantly restored to near normal level by argan oil supplementation to mercuric chloride intoxicated rats. Liver histological studies have confirmed the changes observed in biochemical parameters and proved the beneficial role of argan oil. The results clearly demonstrate that argan oil treatment augments the antioxidants defense mechanism in mercuric chloride induced toxicity and provides evidence that it may have a therapeutic role in free radical mediated diseases.