Attenuative effects of poncirin against polyethylene microplastics-prompted hepatotoxicity in rats

Polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) are of significant concern due to their widespread use, pervasive persistence in the environment that induce multiple organ damage especially in the liver. Poncirin (PON) is a naturally present flavone with conspicuous pharmacological properties. the current investigation was formulated to ascertain the palliative role of PON against PE-MPs-provoked hepatic dysfunction. Twenty-four male albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, PE-MPs-treated (1.5 mg/kg), PE-MPs + PON co-treated (1.5 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg), and PON-treated (20 mg/kg). PE-MPs inebriation markedly lowered the expressions of antioxidant genes and Nrf-2, besides escalating Keap-1 expression. It also decreased antioxidants i.e., glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GSR) activities, while remarkably upsurged reactive oxygen species (ROS) along with malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. Additionally, a notable escalation was observed in the levels of hepatic serum markers i.e., alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Furthermore, PE-MPs exposure increased the levels of inflammatory biomarkers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activities. PE-MPs intoxication augmented the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax along with decreasing the expression of Bcl-2. Nevertheless, PON treatment notably abated PE-MPs prompted liver injuries owing to its hepatoprotective efficacy. Thus, it may be inferred that PON could be a potential therapeutic option for treating hepatic damage caused by PE-MPs.