Abstract: | The present paper is part of a wider experiment focused on reducing the toxicity level of some mycotoxins considered to be grade 1 carcinogen to humans. Among them there is sterigmatocystin, a mycotoxin that derives from difuran, structurally related to aflatoxins, which withdraws the attention of the human and veterinary pathology by having a high incidence in vegetal aliments from the temperate-continental climate. Considering the hypothesis that sterigmatocystin acts as a free radical coming from epoxy-sterigmatocystin, the experiment presented in this paper deals with the use of some pharmaceutical preparates coming from Hipophäe rhamnoides (boxthorn) and Cynosbati fructus (rosehip). The vegetal product from the boxthorn pseudoberries, Hipophäe rhamnoides, is thought to have special antitoxic/antioxidant properties because of the high level of ascorbic acid (400-1500mg %) and the bioflavonoids that protect the antioxidant vitamin itself from the redox reactions. The antitoxic/antioxidant biocomplex from this effective remedy is completed and increased by the presence of ergosterol and carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene, physalin, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin). The pseudo rosehip berries Cynosbati fructus are considered to have real antitoxic/antioxidant effects because of vitamin C (500-1000 mg %), carotenoids (600-10000 mg %) and vitamin E. The experiment included 5 groups of 5 Wistar white rats each. The first group represented the reference group, while the second group was used for the experimental reproduction of the chronic sterigmatocystin intoxication (control group). The animals in the third group were given, apart from the daily dose of sterigmatocystin, ascorbic acid, being known its role of non-enzymatic antioxidant. The third group was given sterigmatocystin and, simultaneously, an extractive 5% solution of Hipophäe fructus. For assessing and comparing the antitoxic potential of the two vegetal products, the last group of rats were given an additional extractive 5% solution of Cynosbati fructus. At the end of the experiment, the animals were subjected to biochemical analyses by quantifying the two transaminases acting as hepatic cytolysis parameters, alanine aminotransferase – ALT and aspartate aminotransferase – AST as well as the three oxidative stress parameters, catalase - CAT, superoxid dismutase – SOD and the free thion groups. The results obtained underline the significant antitoxic/antioxidant effects of both studies phytopreparates. |
