Cytoprotective and antioxidant potential of Aegle marmelos on cadmium-induced hepato-renal toxicity: an in vivo study

The current study investigated the protective and antioxidant potential of Aegle marmelos leaf extract against Cadmium-induced alterations in hepatic and renal tissues of BALB/c mice. Cadmium (Cd) is known for its toxicity and induction of oxidative stress even at a low level of exposure with prolonged persistence in the environment. Its metabolism and excretion depend on the endogenous antioxidant defense system, which gets compromised. For the present study thirty BALB/c mice were equally divided into six groups, namely Control (normal saline via gavage for 10 days), Cadmium (intraperitoneal dose of 5 mg/kg b.wt. for 5 days), Aegle alone (500 mg/kg b.wt. for 10 days via gavage), Pre-treatment of Aegle (500 mg/kg b.wt. for 10 days+5 mg/kg b.wt. of Cd for 5 days), Post-treatment of Aegle (5 mg/kg b.wt. of Cd for 5 days+500 mg/kg b.wt. for 10 days) and Vehicle group (0.5 mL oil/kg b.wt. through gavage for 10 days). The liver and kidney tissues of different groups were screened for oxidative stress indices, antioxidant enzyme systems, hepatic-renal biomarkers, histopathological alterations, chromosomal aberrations, and micronucleus formation. Sub-acute Cadmium exposure caused marked oxidative damage and tissue dysfunction evident from increased lipid peroxidation, liver-kidney serum function markers, and a subsequent decrease in reduced glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase (p < 0.001). Histopathological analysis exhibited both reversible and non-reversible alterations.Additionally, a marked increase in chromosomal aberrations and micronucleation was observed. Both pre-and post-treatments with Aegle significantly restored altered antioxidant enzyme status, serum function markers, histomorphological alterations and reduced the percentage of chromosomal aberrations and micronucleation in the treated groups. Aegle exerts its protective efficacy due to its rich bio-active phytoconstituents, which regulated Cadmium evoked reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enhanced endogenous defense system to combat the cyto-genotoxic alterations. Moreover, all the parameters profoundly indicate higher efficacy of the pre-treatment dose.