Protective Role of Green-Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Against Prenatal Ethion Toxicity in Rats

Ethion is a class II moderately toxic organothiophosphate pesticide. The primary objective of this study was to assess the protective effect of green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (GsZnONP) against maternal and foetal toxicity induced by prenatal exposure to ethion in rats. GsZnONP was synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of Moringa oleifera and zinc acetate as a salt precursor. GsZnONP characterization revealed a size of 47.76 nm with a zeta potential of - 17.6 nm. Also, UV-visible spectrometry, FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM analysis revealed the formation of nanoparticles. For in vivo studies, pregnant Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (groundnut oil), ethion (3.43 mg/kg B. Wt.), GsZnONP (10 mg/kg B. Wt.), and ethion (3.43 mg/kg B. Wt.) + GsZnONP (10 mg/kg B. Wt.) (coadministration). Oral administration was done from gestational day (GD) 6-19. Pregnant rats were sacrificed on GD 20 for maternal and foetal examination. Coadministration of GsZnONP with ethion reduced the resorptions compared to the ethion group. The hepatorenal protective effect of GsZnONP was shown by reduced levels of enzymes like AST, ALT, ALP, and creatinine in the coadministration group. It also reduced the oxidative stress induced by ethion, which is shown by the reduced MDA levels in serum, uterus, ovary, and placenta. The coadministration group also showed improvement in the histological architecture of the uterus, placenta, lungs, liver, and kidney of pregnant dams. In foetuses, coadministration improved the body weight, histological architecture of liver and kidney, and skeletal ossification. These findings suggest that GsZnONP have a protective effect over maternal and foetal toxicity induced by ethion in rats.