Tiger Fern Leaves Juice Attenuates Arsenic‐Induced Neurobehavioral and Hepatic Disorders in Mice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ijvmas.v3i1.6891Keywords:
Antioxidants, Arsenic, Cognition, Liver, MiceAbstract
Age-related arsenic poisoning is a worldwide environmental health issue linked to neurobehavioral dysfunction and acute liver dysfunction, which is mainly mediated by oxidative stress and disruption of antioxidant activities. Natural plants present positive protective strategies, but the neuroprotective or hepatoprotective effects of tiger fern leaves juice (TFJ) have not been studied yet. The paper tested the neurobehavioral changes and hepatic toxicity of arsenic induced by tiger fern leaves juice in mice. Thirty-six adult Swiss albino male mice were randomly placed in six groups (n = 6/group), and orally fed for 28 days with distilled water (control), sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg), TFJ (5 or 10 mL/kg), or arsenic mixed with TFJ. Neurobehavioral evaluations were the Morris water maze, elevated plus maze and rotarod evaluations. The level of hepatic oxidative stress was assessed through malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutases (SOD), and catalases (CAT) activities. The liver functioning was evaluated by means of the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels. Arsenic exposure significantly deteriorated cognitive and motor activity, and it raised escape latency in the Morris water maze by around 108 per cent and hepatic lipid peroxidation by around 190 per cent, as well as antioxidant enzyme activities. The co-administration of tiger fern leaf juice was of significant effect in inhibiting these effects; the escape latency was attenuated by as much as 46%, lipid peroxidation by about 55%, and the antioxidant status was restored in a dose-dependent manner. Also, TFJ treatment had significant ameliorating effects on the increased serum liver enzyme levels, which are factors of hepatic functioning. Tiger fern leaves juice has a vigorous neuroprotective and hepatoprotective activity against the toxicity caused by arsenic, which is probably due to its antioxidant and cytoprotective properties. TFJ can be a good natural therapeutic candidate to treat the arsenic-related neurobehavioral and hepatic disorders.
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