Recent investigations have proved the crucial role of nutritional
antioxidants to prevent the damage caused by toxic compounds. In this study, the
antioxidant effect of date palm fruit extract on
dimethoate-induced oxidative stress and nephrotoxicity in rat is investigated and compared with the effect of the well-known
antioxidant vitamin C. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of ten each: a control group (C), a group that received
dimethoate (20 mg/kg
body weight) (D), a group given Deglet Nour extract (DNE), a group treated with DNE 30 min before the administration of
dimethoate (DNE + D), a group which received VitC (100 mg/kg
body weight) plus
dimethoate (Vit C + D), and a group given
dimethoate for the first month and DNE 30 min after administration of
dimethoate, during the second month (D + DNE). These components were daily administered by gavage for 2 months. After completing the treatment period, blood samples from rats were collected under inhaled
diethyl ether anesthesia for serum
urea,
uric acid, and
creatinine levels, while the rat kidneys were obtained for
enzyme assays and histology.
Oral administration of
dimethoate in rats induced a marked
renal failure characterized by a significant increase in serum
creatinine and
urea levels (p < 0.01) in addition to a significant decrease in serum
uric acid (p < 0.05). Interestingly, these drastic modifications were accompanied by a marked enhancement of lipid peroxidation in kidney, indicating a significant induction of oxidative damage (p < 0.01) and dysfunctions of enzymatic
antioxidant defenses. These biochemical alterations were also accompanied by histological changes in kidney revealed by a narrowed Bowman's space, tubular degeneration, tubular cell desquamation, and tubular dilatation of proximal tubules. Treatment with date palm fruit extract (Deglet Nour) and also with
vitamin C significantly (p < 0.05) reversed the serum renal markers to their near-normal levels when compared with
dimethoate-treated rats. In addition, Deglet Nour extract and
vitamin C significantly reduced lipid peroxidation, restored the
antioxidant defense
enzymes in the kidney, and improved the histopathology changes. The present findings indicate that in vivo date palm fruit may be useful for the prevention of oxidative stress-induced nephrotoxicity.