ABSTRACT
Objective: Paraquat (PQ) is a highly toxic herbicide that causes pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and no specific antidote is available against it. Teucrium polium L. is a plant that exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study evaluates the preventive and therapeutic effects of T. polium extract (TPE) against PQ-induced lung fibrosis in rats. Materials and Methods: We divided rats into five groups of eight. Groups one and two received saline and PQ (20 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively. Groups three to five were treated with TPE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, by gavage) started one week before PQ administration and lasted three weeks after PQ administration. Results: Our findings showed that PQ significantly increased lung malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, hydroxyproline, lung index, Ashcroft score, red blood cells accumulation, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, PQ decreased catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities and glutathione content. The results of hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome staining indicated that PQ destroyed lung parenchyma and developed PF (p<0.05 to p<0.001). Gavage with TPE significantly improved biochemical and histological abnormalities induced by PQ in rats (p<0.05 to p<0.001). Conclusion: The current survey indicated that treatment with TPE could reduce and reverse PQ-induced PF, which may be due to the phenolic compounds present in TPE.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Aflatoxins are one of the most potent toxic substances that occur naturally. Nowadays extensive attention has been taken to their existence in food and environment, as there is the possibility of harm to humans following chronic exposure to extremely low levels via food chain. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a hepatic carcinogenic metabolite found in the milk of lactating animals fed with contaminated feed contaminated by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the levels of AFM1 in produced pasteurized milk in the Ahvaz of city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this purpose, 100 samples of pasteurized milk from the Jamus Factory were analyzed the to determine AFM1 content by using an immunoaffinity column for clean-up and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a C18 column, a fluorescence detector (excitation 365 nm, emission 435 nm) and a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (25:75, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. RESULTS: AFM1 was detected in all 100 samples of pasteurized milk at concentrations ranging from 0.45 to 9.760 ng/L. CONCLUSIONS: The mean concentration of AFM1 in the the pasteurized milk samples was 2.7 ng/L, which was below the 50 ng/L, accepted as level of for milk in Iran.
