Graphical abstract

Continuation of prolonged treatment against arsenicosis with conventional chelating therapy is a global challenge. The present study was intended to evaluate the defensive effect of arjunolic acid against arsenic-induced oxidative stress and female reproductive dysfunction. Wistar strain adult female rats were given sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg body weight) in combination with arjunolic acid (10 mg/kg body weight) orally for two estrous cycles. Electrozymographic analysis explored that arjunolic acid co-treatment counteracted As-induced ROS production in uterine tissue by stimulating the activities of endogenous enzymatic antioxidants. Arjunolic acid was able to enhance the protection against mutagenic uterine DNA breakage, necrosis, and ovarian-uterine tissue damages in arsenicated rats by improving the ovarian steroidogenesis. The mechanisms might be coupled with the augmentation of antioxidant defense system, partly through the elimination of arsenic with the involvement of S-adenosyl methionine pool where circulating levels of vitamin B, folic acid, and homocysteine play critical roles as evidenced from our present investigation.

Rapid emergence of arsenic pollution demands the development of novel adjunct with non-invasive painless oral therapeutic agent to combat against arsenic associated health hazards by replacing conventional painful chelating therapy. In the present study, the modulatory effects of vitamin B and folic acid (folate) in the amelioration of arsenic mediated uterine disorders were examined.In this experimental study, Wistar strain adult female rats were fed sodium arsenite (As ) contaminated water (0.4 ppm) in conjunction with vitamin B (0.04 per . . perRats those underwent arsenic exposure showed significant impairments in the status of uterine antioxidant profile as evident from enzymatic assay and electrozymogram study of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase with an abnormal increase in conjugated diene and malondialdehyde levels. Mutagenic uterine DNA-breakage and tissue damages were prominent following As consumption by the rats. All impairments were totally or partially attenuated by the co-treatment with these two B vitamins in arsenic exposed rats.The mechanisms might be coupled with the enhancement of antioxidant defense system, partly through the elimination of arsenic with the involvement of S-adenosine methionine pool (SAM) since, vitamin B and folic acid are two major regulators of this pool.

Novel, non-invasive, painless oral therapeutic agents are needed to replace the painful conventional treatment of arsenic-associated health hazards with metal chelators. Our aim was to examine the effect of spirulina ( Spirulina platensis ( Geitler, 1925 )) on arsenic-mediated uterine toxicity. Female Wistar rats were divided equally into four experimental treatment groups: control group, sodium arsenite group (1.0 mg/100 g body mass), spirulina placebo group (20 mg/100 g body mass), and sodium arsenite + spirulina group. In contrast with the control group, spectrophotometric and electrozymographic evaluation revealed that rats that ingested arsenic for 8 d showed significant diminution of the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase ( p < 0.001). Mutagenic uterine DNA breakage and tissue damage were prominent following arsenic consumption by the rats. Oral delivery of spirulina resulted in a significant amelioration of arsenic-induced adverse oxidative stress and genotoxic state of rats. A significant low-signaling ( p < 0.001) of gonadotropins and estradiol was also noted in the arsenic-treated rats, which was terminated by spirulina; this arsenic-primed adverse effect was significant ( p < 0.05, p < 0.01). The spirulina treatment mechanism could be associated with augmentation of the antioxidant defense system that protects the arsenic-mediated pathological state of the uterus.

Momordica charantia (MC) fruit known as bitter gourd, is of potential nutritional and medicinal value. The objectives of the present in vitro study were to evaluate the efficacy of bioactive pectic polysaccharides (CCPS) of MC along with another well-known bioactive compound curcumin in the abrogation of hepatocellular oxidative stress persuaded by sodium arsenite. Electrozymographic method was developed for the assessment of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities of liver tissues maintained under an in vitro system. A significant association of CCPS of MC in combination with curcumin was found in the alleviation of oxidative stress induced by sodium arsenite in liver slice. Generated data pointed out that CCPS of MC and curcumin separately or in combination can offer significant protection against alterations in malondialdehyde (MDA), conjugated diene (CD) and antioxidative defense (SOD, CAT) markers. Furthermore, results of hepatic cell DNA degradation strongly supported that both these co-administrations have efficacy in preventing cellular damage. This is the first information of extracted polysaccharides from MC preventing arsenic induced damage in a liver slice of rat.