Abstract

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF CUMIN ON SODIUM ARSENITE INDUCED TOXICITY IN CHARLES FOSTER RATS

Arun Kumar*, Basant Kumar, Pramod Shanker and Sanjeev Kumar Jha

Abstract

Arsenic in the present times has caused serious health hazards in the human population. In India, the arsenic poisoning in ground water in Gangetic plains has increased many folds. The exposed population are suffering from various arsenicosis symptoms such as hyperkeratosis, melanosis, and other internal organ diseases of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, hormonal and others. Hence, the present study is focused to combat the deleterious effect of arsenic toxicity in animal models utilizing medicinal plant extract. The animals (Charles Foster rats) were treated with Sodium arsenite at the dose of 8 mg per kg body weight for 16 weeks to make arsenic model and upon these arsenic pretreated rats seed extract of Cumin at the dose of 25 mg per kg body weight was administered for 4 weeks to study the ameliorative effects of this plant extract. After the entire treatment, rats were sacrificed and their blood samples were obtained and analysed for haematological and biochemical study. The study shows that arsenic induced toxicity caused deleterious effect on the rats at the haematological and biochemical levels and there was significant normalisation in the animal at all the respective levels. Hence, Cumin possesses ameliorative properties against arsenic induced toxicity and can be used for human purpose after dose titration.

Keywords: Sodium arsenite, Cumin, protective effect, Charles Foster Rats.