ANTITOXIC EFFECTS OF GUM ARABIC (ACACIA SENEGAL) AND GUAR GUM (CYAMOPSIS TETRAGONOLOBUS) AGAINST HEPATORENAL TOXICITY INDUCED BY MERCURIC CHLORIDE IN RATS

Heavy metal accumulates mostly in the liver and kidney as these organs involved in the detoxification and excretion of foreign materials. In the present study, we explored the effect of Gum Arabic (GA) and Guar Gum (GG) on mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) induced hepatorenal toxicity. Twenty-eight adult male albino rats “Sprague Dawely” weighing 250-300 g were divided into four equal groups: the first group served as the negative control group, the second group received intraperitoneal (I.P.) injection with HgCl₂, the third group received HgCl₂ injection followed by GA and the fourth group received HgCl₂ injection followed by GG. HgCl₂ injection caused a significant increase in serum total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (ALT), alanine aminotransferase (AST), creatinine, urea, and uric acids compared to control. Moreover, there was a significant reduction in tissue-reduced glutathione (GSH) with a marked increase in the tissue hydroxyproline content and TGF-β% in the liver and kidney. Also, hepatorenal intoxication was confirmed by histopathological examination compared with the control group. Treatment with GA or GG showed significant recovery (p ≤ 0.05) in all previous parameters and histopathological appearance. In contrast, GG showed more powerful improvement than GA. In conclusion, we suggested that GA & GG may have a promising antitoxic property, gives it the applicability to be used as a prophylactic agent against mercury-induced hepatorenal cytotoxicity.