Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Science

The present study was conducted to investigate the treatment with Aristolochia longa (A. longa) and Aquilaria malaccensis (A. malaccensis) (widely used in Algerian traditional medicine) in reversing lead-induced oxidative stress in the cerebrum of rat. For this purpose, 25 adult female Wistar albino rats, equally divided into control and four treated groups, received eitherlead (Pb), Pb+A. longa(Ar), Pb+A. malaccensis(Aq), or Pb+Ar+Aq. lead (100 mg/kg b.w)as Lead(II) acetate added in their drinking water for 75 days. A. longa(rhizome powder at a dose 1% of diet) and A. malaccensis (heartwood powder at a dose 1% of diet) were added to the feed during the last 15 days of lead exposedin the animals. The results of the phytochemical screening revealed that A. longaand A. malaccensis aqueous extract contained various bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, saponins, terpenoids, glycosides and flavonoids. Total phenolic content in A. longa and A malaccensis aqueous extract was found a high level. The results showed also that Pb treatment increased significantly the cerebrum level of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Catalase (CAT) activity, whereas the Glutathion S transferase (GST)activity and the cerebrum levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) were decreased compared to control rats. Our results showed that treatment with A. malaccensis and A. longa partially reversed this change. Results demonstrated beneficial effects of A. longa and A. malaccensis treatment in Pb-induced oxidative stress in cerebrum and suggest that A. longa could therefore be considered a promising source of novel treatments for cerebrum alterations.