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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Toxicol.
Sec. Clinical Toxicology
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1489310

Protective Effects of Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) Oil Against Cefotaxime-Induced Hepato-renal Toxicity in Rats

Provisionally accepted
Shaimaa M. Azzam Shaimaa M. Azzam 1Heba Elsanhory Heba Elsanhory 2Ahmed H. Abd El-Slam Ahmed H. Abd El-Slam 3Marwa S.M. Diab Marwa S.M. Diab 1Halima Mohamed Ibrahim Halima Mohamed Ibrahim 1Abdalrahman Mohammed Yousef Abdalrahman Mohammed Yousef 3Fatma Mahmoud Sabry Fatma Mahmoud Sabry 1Ebtihal Y. Khojah Ebtihal Y. Khojah 4Somaiah A. Bokhari Somaiah A. Bokhari 5Gad Elsayed Mohamed Salem Gad Elsayed Mohamed Salem 1*Marwa Saad Zaghlou Marwa Saad Zaghlou 1
  • 1 National Organization for Drug Control and Research (NODCAR), Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
  • 2 Sinai University, Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
  • 3 Faculty of Medicine of Boys, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Beni Suef, Egypt
  • 4 College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
  • 5 Mecca Maternity and Children Hospital, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Cefotaxime is a broad-spectrum antibiotic targeting Gram-negative bacteria, used for diverse infections, but it can be toxic to the stomach, liver, and kidneys. This study explored the protective effects of geranium oil against cefotaxime-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in rats, employing biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical evaluations. Thirty rats were divided into five groups of six animals each one. Group 1 received orally normal saline for 14 days, Group 2 was given orally 2.5% DMSO for 14 days, Group 3 received cefotaxime (200 mg/kg/day IM) for 14 days, Group 4 received with cefotaxime (200 mg/kg/day IM) and geranium oil (67 mg/kg b.w./day orally in DMSO) for 14 days, and Group 5 received geranium oil alone (67 mg/kg b.w./day orally in DMSO) for 14 days. Geranium oil significantly reduced cefotaxime-induced damage, evidenced by lower serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALT), renal markers (urea, creatinine), and other indicators (alkaline phosphatase, TNF-alpha, IL-1Beta, MAPK, nitric oxide, MDA). It also increased levels of protective tissue biomarkers such as NrF2, albumin, catalase, Beclin 1, and reduced glutathione (GSH). Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed significant protective effects in liver and renal tissues in rats treated with Geranium oil. These results suggest that Geranium oil is effective in mitigating cefotaxime-induced hepatotoxicity and renal toxicity.

    Keywords: Geranium oil, Cefotaxime, Hepatotoxicity, Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant Defense, MAPK, Nrf2, Nephrotoxicity

    Received: 31 Aug 2024; Accepted: 21 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Azzam, Elsanhory, Abd El-Slam, Diab, Ibrahim, Yousef, Sabry, Khojah, Bokhari, Salem and Zaghlou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Gad Elsayed Mohamed Salem, National Organization for Drug Control and Research (NODCAR), Cairo, Cairo, Egypt

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