Protective Effect of Curcumin Against Carbofuran-Induced Toxicity in Wistar Rats

Pesticide carbofuran (Furadan) is known to be an inhibitor of nerve impulses by its inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Oral administration of carbofuran also produced tissue damage as evidenced by the increased the activities of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and gamma glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) in tissues and serum. Against carbofuran, curcumin restored the activities of acetylcholinesterase, LDH, CK and γ- GT in animals. Curcumin also restored the reduced mitochondrial enzymes in rat liver caused by carbofuran. Liver carbohydrate metabolizing enzyme hexokinase was increased, and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, fructose 1,6 diphosphatase, and glucose 6-phosphatase decreased after carbofuran treatment. Treatment with curcumin improved these enzyme activities in the liver. Carbofuran exposure resulted in increased lipid peroxidation (LPO), hydroperoxides, and conjugated diene in liver. Administration of curcumin during carbofuran administration lowered LPO, conjugated diene, and hydroperoxides. Moreover, levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione, which were significantly decreased after carbofuran exposure, were increased by curcumin administration. Marked impairment in the motor function was seen following carbofuran administration. Curcumin treatment significantly improved the carbofuran-induced neurobehavioral difficulties. These results indicate the ameliorating activity of carbofuran toxicity by curcumin.