Antioxidant resveratrol protects against copper oxide nanoparticle toxicity in vivo

The upsurge in copper oxide nanoparticle (CuONP) applications in various fields triggers hazardous effects on health. Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in plants of stilbene class, has been reported to decrease oxidative stress. The current study investigated the protective effect of resveratrol (RVT) against CuONP-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in male Wistar rats. CuONPs were prepared by precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Average crystallite size, lattice parameters (a, b, and c), volume of unit cell, and X-ray density were found to be 33 nm, (a = 4.691 Å, b = 3.409 Å, and c = 5.034 Å), 79.4 Å³, and 6.506 g/cm³, respectively, from XRD pattern. SEM showed uniform morphology of synthesized nanoparticles. Severe hepatic and renal injury was found in CuONP (300 mg/kg/day intragastrically (i.g.)) group after 7 days as shown by significantly increased serum levels of ALT, AST, creatinine, urea, and total oxidant status along with histopathological alterations. Resveratrol (60 mg/kg) treatment prevented the toxic effects induced by CuONPs. In conclusion, our data showed protective activity of resveratrol against toxic effects of copper oxide nanoparticles presumably through its antioxidant properties. Graphical abstract ᅟ.