Fenvalerate (Fen), a pyrethroid pesticide, is widely used to control various pests. This study aimed to investigate the effects of garlic extract (GE) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on antioxidant enzyme activities and histopathological changes in the liver and brain tissues of rats exposed to Fen. Forty-two Wistar rats were divided into seven groups: Control, Sham, Fen (10 mg/kg), NAC (80 mg/kg), Fen+GE, Fen+NAC, and Fen+GE+NAC. Treatments were administered intraperitoneally. Results showed significant biochemical differences among groups (P<0.01). Fen exposure caused hepatic damage, including inflammatory cell infiltration and congestion, as well as brain injuries such as hyperemia, necrosis, and gliosis. Co-administration of NAC and GE mitigated Fen-induced damage, aligning with biochemical findings. Malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and glutathione (GSH) levels, along with Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities, significantly increased in the Fen group compared to controls (P<0.01). NAC and GE, alone or combined, significantly reduced Fen's toxic effects (P<0.05). The study highlights the hepatoprotective and antioxidant roles of NAC and GE against Fen toxicity, suggesting their potential as natural therapeutic agents to counteract pesticide-induced damage, thereby contributing to human and environmental health protection.
Raji et al. (Wed,) studied this question.