Mitigating Heavy Metal Toxicity: The Protective Impact of Sprouted Wheat and

Lamiaa M. Abd El-Maoula Amira M. Elmoslemany Hanan S.E. Eldamaty Amina Zedan Heba Ghamry Heba Yahia Elbasiouny ^* Ola Ibrahim El-Desoky

• Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Cairo, Egypt

Heavy metals (HMs) contamination poses a considerable threat to animals and human health. Sprouted wheat and barley have been shown to effectively alleviate the impact of HMs on specific organs in rats, such as the liver and brain due to their antioxidant nutritional advantages. Nevertheless, the effects on the kidneys and testes have not been investigated, indicating a gap that necessitates further research. Therefore, in this study, the rats were subjected to a combination of copper, manganese, and zinc (Cu, Mn, Zn) in the drinking water, with or without sprouted seeds. Biomarkers in kidneys and testes were examined. The molecular investigations in kidneys, testes, hearts, and spleens were performed to address their effects. The findings indicated that exposure to HMs significantly increased most indicators in serum lipid profiles, such as total cholesterol and triglycerides, which increased 96.01 and 47.09 to 215 and 98.20 mg dl-1, while it decreased HDL from 64.70 to 33.12 mg dl-1. Exposure to HMs also increased kidney function markers (such as creatinine which increased from 0.43 to 0.94 mg dl-1). Also, oxidative stress indicators were increased in the kidney tissues (such as MDA which increased from 0.11 to 0.36 nmol mg-1). Furthermore, this exposure reduced the antioxidant enzyme activities (such as CAT which decreased from 0.29 to 0.09 ng mg-1). The comet assay indicated significant damage in DNA in the examined tissues. However, supplementation with, particularly elevated doses, of sprouted wheat and barley seeds mitigated some of the previously negative effects. These seeds notably enhanced the lipid profiles, kidney functions, and antioxidant activities. They facilitated the repair of DNA damage and the restoration of hormonal balance. These results indicate that sprouted seeds have strong protective effects against HM-induced toxicity in rat tissues.