Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Aluminum (AL) is commonly found in food, drinking, air, and soil and it can be a serious contaminant in varying amounts. Therefore, this study investigated the biochemical and histological hazardous reactions to aluminum chloride (AlCl(3)) and the efficiency of the methanol extract of Delonix regia aerial parts with gum Arabic (GA) as anti-toxic therapies to return to a natural state after AlCl(3) exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 20 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four equal groups. (i) CG: Served as a control group. (ii) AlCl(3): Rats were exposed to 80 mg/kg/body weight (BW) AlCl(3). (iii) AlCl(3) + D. regia/GA: rats were administered AlCl(3) + 100 mg/kg B.W. with 15% BW of D. regia and GA, respectively. (iv) D. regia/GA: Rats were administered 100 mg/kg B.W. with 15% BW D. regia and GA, respectively. The experimental treatment was administered for 30 days. On the 30(th) day, blood biochemical parameters were assessed, and specimens from the liver and kidney were collected and stored in a neutral buffer with 10% formalin until immediate histopathological examination after euthanasia. RESULTS: This study revealed a significant increase in white blood cells and platelets after AlCl(3) exposure compared with CG, while there was a decrease in red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume. Treatment with D. regia/GA improved lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Furthermore, the animals exposed to AlCl(3) showed a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase compared with CG, whereas AlCl(3) + D. regia/GA treatment improved these activities. In addition, the rats exposed to AlCl(3) had significantly increased glucose, lipase, amylase, triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein levels, and D. regia/GA treatment significantly improved these levels compared with AlCl(3). This study reported no significant differences in Ca and Na concentrations among groups, but rats exposed to AlCl(3) had elevated K, Cl, and Mg levels, whereas D. regia/GA treatment improved these levels. CONCLUSION: The co-administration of the methanolic extract of D. regia with GA can protect against AlCl(3) toxicity.