The ameliorative impacts of curcumin on copper oxychloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract Background Copper oxychloride (COC) (50% of its component, copper) is copper-based fungicides. The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of 80 mg/kg curcumin against the toxicity of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg COC per kilogram body weight for 90 days on the liver of a rat. Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), hepatic glutathione reduced content (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected. The histological and ultrastructure changes of the liver tissues as well as the hepatic content of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc were also reported. Results COC-treated rats showed an increase of SGPT and SGOT, with the elevation of copper and zinc content and MDA levels with no change in GSH level. The liver showed a significant increase in the copper and iron contents. The liver of COC-treated rats showed histological and ultrastructural damage that increased with increasing the COC dose. Conversely, curcumin supplementation potentially recovered liver function enzymes in only low doses of COC, reduced MDA level, increased GSH content, and improved the hepatic lesions. These findings revealed that subchronic exposure to even low levels of COC may have potential hazards and harmful effects on the liver, and the curcumin markedly attenuated the COC biochemical, histological, and cellular alterations in liver tissues, best with the low dose of COC. Conclusions It is concluded that curcumin has a limited protective role against COC liver toxicity.