Antidote Effects of Plants of Himalayan Sub-Origin Against Arsenic Induced Toxicity

Arun Kumar, Ranjit Kumar, Mohammad Samiur Rahman, Mohammad Asif Iqubal, Gautam Anand, Pintoo Kumar Niraj and Mohammad Ali

Abstract: Arsenic is present in the environment and human all over the world are exposed to small amounts, mostly through food, water, and air. In the developing countries like Bangladesh and India, the high prevalence of contamination, the isolation and poverty of the rural population and the high cost and complexity of arsenic removal systems have imposed a programmatic and policy challenge on an unprecedented scale. Although in India, Arsenic poisoning in ground water in Gangetic basin especially the districts adjoining the river Ganges right from Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar to West Bengal is the major problem of concern. Due to which, major health related problems are arising in the population.To combat the present problem, a pre-clinical study was done on Charles foster rats and sodium arsenite at the dose of 8 mg Kg^-1 body weight per day was administered to these rats for 60 days and upon these arsenic pretreated rats, novel plant extracts of Withania somnifera and Pteris longifolia were administered for 45 days to study the antidote effects of these plant extracts. These plants not only eliminated the toxic effects of arsenic but also reversed the normal physiological activity in the animal. Thus, the present study concludes that these novel plants possesses the best bioremedial impact against arsenic induced toxicity.

Keywords: Arsenic, Withania somnifera, Pteris longifolia, Antidote, Bioremediation, Pre-clinical study.

Pages: 99 – 109 | Full PDF Paper