QUERCETIN AMELIORATES OXIDATIVE STRESS, NEURAL DAMAGE OF BRAIN AND BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENT OF RAT WITH FLUORIDE EXPOSURE

Excess fluoride causing fluorosis, can enter in to brain, disturb oxidative status and induce neural damage. Quercetin, antioxidant flavonoid stabilizes oxidative milieu of brain by quenching free radicals. The present study aimed to report ameliorative effect of quercetin on NaF induced oxidative stress, histological alterations in the brain and behavioural changes of rats. Rats were divided into four groups. The first group served as normal which received tap water. The second group was intoxicated with sodium fluoride (20 ppm/kg bw) through drinking water. The third group was given 20 ppm sodium fluoride in drinking water, along with treatment of quercetin (20 mg/kg bw) through oral gavage. The fourth group was treated with quercetin (20 mg/kg bw) through oral gavage. All animals were maintained for 60 days. Then, the antioxidant enzyme levels were measured, histopathological and behavioural studies were carried out. The results showed that the quercetin treatment significantly reversed the NaF induced increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels in the brain homogenate. Quercetin also reversed the NaF induced Maze learning impairment, hot plate latency and histological alterations in cerebral cortex, hippocampal CA1 and CA2 regions in the brain. The study showed that the concomitant administration of quercetin protects rat brain from sodium fluoride induced oxidative stress, neural damage of brain and behavioural alterations.