Garlic and vitamin C protect against pyrethroid insecticide induced teratrogenic effects in rat offspring. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Protective effects of garlic extract and vitamin C against in vivo cypermethrin-induced teratogenic effects in rat offspring.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Aug 20. Epub 2010 Aug 20. PMID: 20728494
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Menoufiya University, Sadat City Branch 32511, Egypt.
Exposure of male (55.1mg/kg b.wt. orally for 60days) and/or pregnant female Wistar rats (55.1mg/kg b.wt. orally at days 6-15 of gestation), to the insecticide cypermethrin (CYP); resulted in the development of a lot of external morphological deformities and visceral malformations in their offspring pubs, which signify the potential of such insecticide to induce reproductive toxicity and teratogenesis. Data cleared that CYP treatment induced significant increase in the percentages of post-implantation deaths, dwarf foeti and subcutaneous oedema beside significant decrease in percentages of live borne foeti and uterine implants. CYP also caused many visceral malformations among different treated groups including nasal, ophthalmic, cerebral, pulmonary, cardiac and renal malformations. Concomitant oral administration of garlic extract or vitamin C (5days/week) to treated fathers and/or pregnant mothers with CYP provided significant reduction in the percentage of the foetal malformations induced by the insecticide, when compared with the control. The current study proves that garlic and ascorbic acid dampen the reproductive toxicity and/or teratogenicity of cypermethrin toxicity in rats; therefore might prove to be effective dietary supplements in developing countries where pesticide pollution is high.