Protective effects of Eruca sativa (rocket) on abamectin insecticide toxicity in male albino rats

The extensive use of insecticides has hazardous effects since they can damage human health as well as the environment. Abamectin has been widely used in veterinary medicine and as a pesticide in agriculture. It is considered as one of the most commonly used insecticides in Egypt. The focus of the present study is to examine the toxic effects of sublethal dose (1 mg/kg b.wt.) of abamectin (Crater 3.37% EC) in male albino rats and to evaluate the efficiency of Eruca sativa suspension to ameliorate the abamectin toxicity. The present study was achieved using 18 male albino rats. Rats were divided into three groups: normal control group, abamectin-treated group, and abamectin + E. sativa-treated group. Rats of the third group were orally administrated a mixture of sublethal dose of abamectin (1 mg/kg b.wt.) and E. sativa suspension (5 g/kg b.wt.) three times a week for 28 days. At the end of the study period, blood samples were collected from all groups to measure the various hematological and biochemical parameters. The results revealed that rats, after abamectin exposure, exhibited general signs of toxicity and disturbance in the hematological and biochemical parameters. In addition, administration of E. sativa suspension ameliorated the hematological and biochemical parameters. These findings suggested that the exposure to abamectin might be responsible for hypertension, liver and kidney dysfunction, lipid profile disturbance, and oxidative stress, reflected in hematological and biochemical parameters. It was also found that the administration of E. sativa suspension reduced the detrimental impact of abamectin on some hematological and biochemical parameters.