Objectives: The present study was carried out to establish the possible protective effects of administration of olive leaves extract on carbendazim induced physiological and histopathological alterations in male rats.
Materials and methods: The experimental rats were divided randomly into five groups and kept at ten rats per group. The first group was untreated and served as a control. The second group was orally administered with carbendazim (200 mg/kg) for one month. The third group was supplemented with olive leaves extract and exposed to carbendazim at the same dose given to the second group. Rats of the fourth group were supplemented with olive leaves extract at the same dose given to the third group. Rats of the fifth group were supplemented with only corn oil.
Results: Carbendazim induced statistically declines in the values of red blood corpuscles (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, hematocrit (Hct) and the level of plasma and liver total protein, while the value of white blood cells (WBC) count, the levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and liver glycogen and total lipid were elevated. Moreover, after one month of carbendazim exposure, there were severe changes in the structures of liver, kidney and testis. Pretreatment of carbendazim-exposed rats with olive leaves extract showed marked improvement in both physiological and histopathological alterations.
Conclusions: We conclude that olive leaves extract is a promising chemotherapeutic agent for reducing the toxicity of carbendazim and may be for other pesticides and toxicants.