The aim of the current study was to evaluate the protective role of
garlic and Panax ginseng extract against polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)-
induced oxidative stress in rats. Eighty female Sprague- Dawley rats were
randomly divided into eight groups including the control group, the rat group
given garlic alone (5 mg/kg b.w), the rat group administrated Panax ginseng
extract alone (20 mg/kg b.w), the rat group given garlic plus Panax ginseng
extract and the other 4 groups administrated PCBs (250 1J9/kg b.w) alone or
with either garlic, Panax ginseng extract, or with garlic and Panax ginseng
extract. The results indicated that rats administrated PCBs caused a
significant increase in the activities of AL T, AST, ALP and the levels of uric
acid, creatinine, triglycerides and lipid peroxidation whereas it decreased
significantly SOD and GPX. Histological examinations of the liver and kidney
tissues showed severe histopathological and histochemical changes.
Animals treated with garlic, Panax ginseng, garlic and Pan ax ginseng led to a
significant elimination of the harmful effects of PCBs in all the biochemical,
antioxidant parameters and the histological picture of the liver and kidney.
Moreover, the treatment of garlic was found to be more effective than
ginseng meanwhile, the combined treatment of garlic and Panax ginseng
extract showed a synergistic protective effect than the individual treatment. It
could be concluded that both garlic and Panax ginseng extract have a
protective role against the PCBs-induced toxicity and these agents may be
used pharmaceutically in areas with highly PCBs contamination.