In recent years, the use of the antioxidant in reducing heavy metal toxicities has increased worldwide. Curcumin has been reported to have a strong antioxidant activity. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of curcumin on lead acetate-induced testicular damage in rats. The sample used 40 male rats divided into 5 groups: negative control (rats were given daily with corn oil); positive control (rats were given daily with lead acetate 50 mg/kg BW orally once in a day for 35 days); and the treatment group (rats were given the curcumin 100 mg, 200 mg, and 400 mg/kg BW orally once in a day for 40 days, and on the 5th day, were given lead acetate 50 mg/kg BW one h after the curcumin administration). After 40 days, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in testicular tissue, and sperm count, motility and viability in the epididymis were measured in rats. Testis samples were also collected for histopathological studies. Results showed that lead acetate administration significantly decreased the SOD, GPx, and increased MDA levels. Lead acetate also decreased the sperm count, motility, viability, and altered histopathological testis (testicular damage, necrosis of seminiferous tubules and loss of spermatid) compared to the negative control. However, administration of curcumin significantly improved the histopathological in testis, increased the sperm count, motility, viability, and also significantly increased the SOD, GPx, and decreased MDA in testis of lead acetate-treated rats. From the results of this study we concluded that the curcumin could be a potent natural product provide a promising protective effect against lead acetate induced testicular toxicity in rats.

Objective: This study was carried to investigate the role of chitosan nanoparticle in protecting against cadmium chloride-induced gastric toxicity in the rat. Methods: The 50 male rats were divided into 5 group: negative control (Rats were given daily with aquadest) ; positive control (Rats were given daily with cadmium chloride 5 mg/kg BW orally once in a day for 28 days) and the treatment group (Rats were given the chitosan nanoparticle 150 mg; 300 mg; 600 mg/kg BW orally once in a day for 32 days and on 4 th day, were given cadmium chloride 5 mg/kg BW one hour after the chitosan nanoparticle administration for 28 days). On day 32, the rats were sacrificed, and gastric tissues were collected to measure Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) and histological evaluations. Results: Oral administration of cadmium chloride 5 mg/kg BW for 28 days significant induced gastric mucosal hemorrhagic lesions, increase MDA, decrease SOD and GPx, and also caused necrosis of gastric mucosal epithelial cell in the rat. Treatment with the chitosan nanoparticle 600 mg/kg BW but not 150 mg/kg BW and 300 mg/kg BW significantly improved gastric injury, decreased MDA, increase in SOD and GPx levels, and also improved necrosis of gastric mucosal epithelial cell as compared to positive control group. Conclusion: From the results of this study concluded that the chitosan nanoparticle could be a potent natural product provide a promising gastroprotective effect against cadmium chloride induced gastric toxicity in rats.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

Objective:It has long been known that chickens, like mammals, are capable of producing antigen-specific immunoglobulin Y (IgY), which functions similar to IgG. The present study was performed to investigate the activity of IgY anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis on proliferation, interleukin (IL)-2, and interferon (IFN)-γ expression of rat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).Materials and Methods:The activity of IgY anti-M. tuberculosis in different doses (25, 50, and 100 μg/ml) on rat PBMCs proliferation was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. The production of IL-2 and IFN-γ in the PBMC supernatant was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Investigation was performed on mRNA expression of IL-2 and IFN-γ by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results:IgY anti-M. tuberculosis significantly increased the proliferation of rat PBMC. Furthermore, IgY anti-M. tuberculosis dose dependently increased IL-2 and IFN-γ production in PBMC, suggesting that pharmacological activities of IgY anti-M. tuberculosis in PBMC may be mediated by regulating the production of cytokines. In the RT-PCR, expression of cytokines such as IL-2 and IFN-γ in PBMC cultures was increased by IgY anti-M. tuberculosis.Conclusions:We concluded that increasing IL-2 and IFN-γ productions in PBMC was related to IgY anti-M. tuberculosis, stimulating the mRNA transcription (gene expression) of these cytokines which can induce proliferation of PBMC.SUMMARY Lohman laying hens immunized intramuscularly with antigens of M. tuberculosis can produce specific IgY anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis complexIgY anti-M. tuberculosis significantly increased the proliferation of rat peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)IgY anti-M. tuberculosis dose dependently increased interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon (IFN)-γ production in PBMCIn the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, expression of cytokines such as IL-2 and IFN-γ in PBMC cultures was increased by IgY anti-M. tuberculosisThe increasing IL-2 and IFN-γ productions in PBMC were related to stimulation on mRNA transcription which can induce proliferation of PBMC. Abbreviations Used: IgY anti-M. tuberculosis: Immunoglobulin Y anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis; IL-2: Interleukin-2; IFN-γ: Interferon-γ; PBMCs: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimycobacterial activity of the Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract in vitro.Materials and Methods:Ethanolic extract of C. xanthorrhiza was set by maceration method. The broth microdilution and disc diffusion method were used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), respectively, of C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract on strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.Results:C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract was found to have the antimycobacterial effects with a MIC value of 1600 μg/ml while MBC value of 3200 μg/ml for M. tuberculosis H37Rv.Conclusion:From these findings , it can be concluded that C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract have an antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv in vitro and its potency elevated by increasing the C. xanthorrhiza ethanol extract concentration.

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