Abstract:
The deleterious health effects brought about by synthetic antioxidants added to food to increase the antioxidant intake of consumers and prevent oxidative stress led to the discovery of natural sources of antioxidants. This study aims to determine the antioxidant effect of the decoction of Peperomia pellucida on kidneys of rats exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE). Oral administration of the decoction in dosages of 5, 10 & 15 mL/kg followed by histopathological analysis were done. Results showed that a 5 mL/kg dosage alleviates oxidative damage and prevents its progression but a 10 mL/kg dosage aggravates the damage while a dosage greater than this further intensifies it. These can be attributed to the dual property of flavonoids that may be present in the decoction (Procházková et al., 2011). At 5 mL/kg, flavonoids function as antioxidants that scavenge the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by TCE while at 10 mL/kg and 15 mL/kg, they function as prooxidants that increase the amount of ROS, consequently worsening oxidative damage. However, statistical analysis showed that the treatment groups given 5 mL/kg and 10 mL/kg are not significantly different from the negative control group. Thus, the most effective concentration of the P. pellucida decoction is less than 10 mL/kg but not lower than 5 mL/kg.
