Abstract
Arsenic, a notoriously poisonous metalloid, is ubiquitous in the environment, and it affects nearly all organ systems of animals including humans. The present study was designed to investigate the preventive role of a triterpenoid saponin, arjunolic acid against arsenic‐induced oxidative damage in murine brain. Sodium arsenite was selected as a source of arsenic for this study. The free‐radical‐scavenging activity and the in vivo antioxidant power of arjunolic acid were determined from its 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging ability and ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay, respectively. Oral administration of sodium arsenite at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight for 2 days significantly decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione‐S‐transferase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase, the level of cellular metabolites, reduced glutathione, total thiols and increased the level of oxidized glutathione. In addition, it enhanced the levels of lipid peroxidation end products and protein carbonyl content. Treatment with arjunolic acid at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight for 4 days prior to arsenic administration almost normalized above indices. Histological findings due to arsenic intoxication and arjunolic acid treatment supported the other biochemical changes in murine brains. Results of 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging and ferric reducing/antioxidant power assays clearly showed the in vitro radical scavenging as well as the in vivo antioxidant power of arjunolic acid, respectively. The effect of a well‐established antioxidant, vitamin C, has been included in the study as a positive control. Combining all, results suggest that arjunolic acid possessed the ability to ameliorate arsenic‐induced oxidative insult in murine brain and is probably due to its antioxidant activity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 22:15–26, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20209