Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites induce toxic effectes in higher organisms. The common types of mycotoxins are aflatoxins and ochratoxins. The aim of the current study was to prepare modified organic montmorillonite nanocomposite (OMNC) and to evaluate its protective effects against the hepatonephrotoxicity induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OA) singly or in combination in rats. Eighty male sprague dawley rats were divided into 8 groups (10 rats/ group) and treated for 8 weeks as follows: (i) the control group; (ii) the group treated orally with AFB1 (80 æg / kg b.w.); (iii) the group treated with OA (100 æg / kg b.w.); (iv) the group treated with AFB1 plus OA; (v) the group treated with OMNC (5 g / kg diet); (vi-viii) the groups treated with AFB1 and/or OA plus OMNC. At the end of treatment period, blood and tissue samples were collected from all animals for biochemical and histological investigations. The results revealed that the expansion in the basal spacing of the montmorillonite due to the intercalation of CTAB was 7.20 Å and the average particle size of OMNC was 120 nm. The in-vivo results indicated that treatment with both AFB1 and OA singly or in combination resulted in significant increases in liver and kidney function parameters, oxidative stress and tumor markers accompanied with significant decreases in antioxidant enzyme activities and significant histological changes in liver and kidney tissues

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