Effect of Diallylsulphide Supplementation on Wistar Rats Exposed to Mercuric Chloride

Purpose: To evaluate the protective potential of diallylsulphide (DAS) against mercury-induced oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymatic alterations in spleen of rats.
Methods: Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 6 rats each and exposed to mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) (50 mg/kg, i.p.) and/or diallylsulphide (200 mg/kg/b.w) by gavage. Oxidative stress was evaluated in spleen by antioxidant markers, viz, lipid per oxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT). Histomorphological changes in the spleen of rats were also compared between groups.
Results: Oral administration of DAS at a concentration of 50 mg/kg daily showed a significant increase in GSH and GPx (p < 0.05), SOD and CAT (p < 0.05), as well as decreased LPO (p < 0.05) level in the spleen of rats as compared with HgCl₂ treated rats. Histopathology of spleen also showed that administration of DAS reduced the damage generated by HgCl₂ treatment.
Conclusion: The results suggest that DAS may effectively normalize impaired antioxidant status in HgCl₂-induced oxidative stress. DAS has a protective effect against lipid peroxidation by scavenging free radicals and is thus capable of ameliorating mercury-induced changes in the spleen of adult Wistar rats.