Effect of ethephon on the liver in albino rats: A histomorphometric study

Abstract

Background: Chemicals that are commonly used for artificial ripening and to increase the shelf life of fruits and vegetables are ethylene, ethane, calcium carbide, and ethephon. The present study was conducted to study the effect of ethephon on the morphometry of rat liver. Methods:Ethephon was administered by oral gavage tube to 10 adult Wistar albino rats at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight/day for 14 days. Ten controls were maintained. The animals were sacrificed within 24 h of administering the last dose by perfusion with formal saline under anesthesia. Liver was dissected and processed for paraffin embedding. Histomorphometric studies were done on randomly selected sections of the liver and the data obtained were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results:In the experimental rats, the hepatocytes had a mean long and short diameter of 15.02 ± 4.20 and 12.08 ± 3.02 µm, respectively. In the control animals, the mean long and short diameters were found to be 16.5 ± 3.59 and 13.9 ± 3.59 µm, respectively. The nucleus of the hepatocytes had a mean long and short diameter of 5.08 ± 1.93 and 5.08 ± 1.93 µm, respectively, in the ethephon-treated rats and 6.15 ± 1.72 and 6.05 ± 1.68 µm, respectively, in the control animals. The decrease in diameters of the hepatocytes and their nuclei was statistically significant. At some sites, the parenchyma showed pyknotic nucleus and inflammatory infiltrations. There was a statistically significant increase in the diameters of the central vein and sinusoids. Dilatation of the bile canaliculi was seen in between the hepatocytes. Conclusion: The plant growth regulator, insecticide, and fruit ripener, ethephon, caused inflammatory and degenerative changes in the liver with associated cholestasis, probably suggestive of toxic hepatitis. (Biomed J 2015;38:421-427)

Modulatory effects of Saussurea lappa root aqueous extract against ethephon‐induced kidney toxicity in male rats

“…The second group included rats that received costus extract by oral gavages (50 mg/kg body weight/day) for 4 weeks . The third group included rats that received oral gavages with ethephon (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 4 weeks . The fourth group (posttreated ethephon with costus) included rats that received ethephon (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 4 weeks and then received costus (50 mg/kg/2 day) orally for another 4 weeks.…”

“…31 The third group included rats that received oral gavages with ethephon (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 4 weeks. 6 The fourth group (posttreated ethephon with costus) included rats that received ethephon (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 4 weeks and then received costus (50 mg/kg/2 day) orally for another 4 weeks. The fifth group (ethephon self-healing) included rats that received ethephon (200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 4 weeks and then left for another 4 weeks without receiving any treatment.…”

“…Plant growth promoter ethephon has been reported to induce damage to the kidneys and liver . It has been reported to induce reproductive toxicity in rats .…”

Positive perspectives from proton therapy

“…However, what about fruit and vegetables that is mass-produced to keep up with the increasing demands of a growing society? In this issue of the Biomedical Journal, Bhadoria et al [11] show that ethephon, a chemical used in fruit ripening, has toxic effects on the liver in rats.…”

Toxicological and physiological effects of ethephon on the model organism, Galleria mellonella L. 1758 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

“…Ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid, ETF] is a synthetic growth regulator, and belongs to ethylene releasers, an important class of the PGRs. ETF is used in agricultural systems for promoting fruit ripening, abscission and flower induction by releasing ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone (Zhang et al, 2012;Bhadoria et al, 2015;Hussain et al, 2015). Several dietary studies have been conducted on ETF toxicity to rats, birds, and marine or freshwater invertebrates (Haux et al, 2000(Haux et al, , 2002Al-Twaty, 2006;Abd El Raouf & Girgis, 2011;Anant & Avinash, 2012).…”