| Summary: | Lead is a blue-gray and highly toxic divalent metal that occurs naturally in the earth crust and isspread throughout the environment by various human activities. The efficacy of garlic (Allium sativum)to reduce hepatotoxicity induced by lead nitrate was evaluated experimentally in male mice. Oraltreatment with lead nitrate at a dose of 50 mg/ kg body weight daily for 40 days (1/45 of LD50) induceda significant increase in the levels of hepatic aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanineaminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ALP), cholesterol, lipidperoxidation (LPO) and lead nitrate. In parallel, hepatic protein levels in lead exposed mice weresignificantly depleted. Lead nitrate exposure also produced detrimental effects on the redox status ofthe liver indicated by a significant decline in the levels of liver antioxidants such as superoxidedismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH). After exposure to lead nitrate (50 mg/kgbody weight for 10 days), the animals received aqueous garlic extract (250 mg/ kg body weight and500 mg/ kg body weight) and ethanolic garlic extract (100 mg/ kg body weight and 250 mg/ kg bodyweight) and partially restored the deranged parameters significantly Histological examination of theliver also revealed pathophysiological changes in lead nitrate exposed group and treatment with garlicimproved liver histology. Our data suggest that garlic is a phytoantioxidant that can counteract thedeleterious effects of lead nitrate.
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