Quercetin, a natural phytochemical and antioxidant protects against sodium azide-induced hepatic and splenic oxidative stress in rats

Introduction: The study investigated the possible ameliorative potentials of quercetin, a flavonoid, in the treatment of sodium azide (NaN3)-induced oxidative stress in wistar rats. Methods: Oxidative stress was assessed by determining the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), as well as levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Results and Conclusions: No significant difference was seen in the relative liver weights in all groups, while quercertin treatments significantly reduced relative spleen weight. NaN3-induced hepatotoxicity, as marked by elevated activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), as well as hepatic and splenic lipid peroxidation, as marked by elevated MDA concentrations were significantly reduced by quercetin treatments. Increases in hepatic CAT activity, as well as hepatic and splenic GSH levels induced by NaN3, were significantly reduced following quercetin treatments. Quercetin treatment did not have any effect on splenic CAT and GST activities, but significantly increased hepatic GST activity compared to NaN3 group. Decreased splenic SOD and GPx activities, as well as hepatic GPx activity following NaN3 treatment were significantly increased by quercetin treatment. Tissue anti-oxidative potentials of quercetin may therefore be harnessed against NaN3-induced hepatic and splenic oxidative stress.