EC Pharmacology and Toxicology

Background: Several therapeutic strategies have been employed in the past to combat arsenic toxicity in animal models. Recent advent in nano-phyto-medicine now offers new pharmaco-therapeutic platforms to restore organ/system function affected by arsenicals. One amongst these is nano-curcumin, a product of rhizome, Curcuma longa. Since arsenic is considered as one of the potent mitochondrial toxicants, a comparative study on the protective effects of nano-curcumin and curcumin on mitochondrial function in arsenic treated rats was proposed.

Objectives: The objective of present study was to investigate the effects of N-CUR on mitochondrial function in the liver of arsenic treated rats. The hallmark indicators selected for present study include-mitochondrial lipid peroxidation, oxidative phosphorylation, adenosine triphosphatase, cytochrome c, and caspase-3.

Result: Present report describes the protective effects of nano-curcumin on mitochondrial toxicity of arsenic in the liver of laboratory rat. Results demonstrated that nano-curcumin treatment to arsenic fed rats significantly improved the mitochondrial function in the liver and shows protective effects against apoptosis and genotoxicity induced by arsenic.

Conclusion: Present results confer that CUR and N-CUR ameliorated mitochondrial stress and attenuated As^III induced hepatotoxicity. N-CUR expressed stronger protective efficacy compared to CUR. These beneficial effects may precisely be associated with suppression of pro-inflammatory factors, TLR4/NFkB and MAPKs signalling. Further studies are in progress.

 Keywords: Arsenic Trioxide; Nano-Curcumin; Mitochondrial Stress; Apoptosis

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