Ameliorative effects of curcumin and resveratrol following abamectin-induced liver injury in rats

Abstract

Abstract Abamectin (ABA), a macrocyclic lactone of the avermectin family, is widely used in agriculture and animal husbandry for its insecticidal and anthelmintic properties. The present study investigated the therapeutic and antioxidant potential of curcumin (CUR) and resveratrol (RES) following abamectin-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats. Fifty-eight male rats were randomly assigned to six groups: control (olive oil), CUR, RES, ABA, ABA + CUR, and ABA + RES. Treatments were administered orally for seven days, and liver tissues were collected on day eight for biochemical and histopathological evaluation. ABA exposure significantly decreased hepatic glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity, while markedly increasing lipid peroxidation (LPO), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) (p < 0.001). CUR and RES supplementation effectively mitigated these alterations, restoring antioxidant parameters and reducing oxidative stress. Histopathological analysis confirmed severe hepatic injury and elevated TNF-α expression in the ABA group, whereas CUR and RES treatments improved liver architecture and reduced injury scores. These results indicate that CUR and RES effectively attenuate ABA-induced oxidative liver damage and may represent promising adjunctive candidates for managing pesticide-related hepatotoxicity.