ABSTRACT
Although there is little doubt that antioxidants are a necessary component for good health, no one knows if supplements should be taken and, if so, how much. To investigate the increase in antioxidants supplementation, a group of mice feeding on a diet containing 20% soybean was used as control group. The control group treated with 5% Nigella sativa and Antox drug [3 mg/mouse/day] either alone or in combination for 15 days. Another control group was treated with the same antioxidants and subjected to 1 Gy of gamma- irradiation x 5 times day after day. In kidney tissue the levels of malonaldehyde [MDA] and reduced glutathione [GSH] were estimated. Also, the histopathological changes were recorded. 5% Nigella sativa revealed a little decrease in MDA level and a highly significant decrease in GSH in kidney tissue while the exposure to fractionated dose of gamma-irradiation predicted a highly significant decrease in MDA and a highly significant increase in GSH level. Gastric intubations of Antox drug showed a highly significant increase in MDA and GSH levels in kidney tissue either alone or in addition to fractionated radiation exposure. Combined treatments of Nigella sativa and Antox drug showed a highly significant decrease in MDA level and a highly significant increase in GSH level in kidney tissue in comparison to the control group. Histopathological changes showed that treatment with 5% Nigella sativa and Antox drug either alone or in combination revealed toxic effect on kidney tissue. However, their treatments prior to radiation exposure showed ameliorating effect. Our findings indicated that we must use the antioxidants under control or under oxidative stress