The Great Healing Potential Hidden in Plant Preparations of Antioxidant Properties: A Return to Nature?

Table 1

The protective properties of plant extracts against toxicity of substances applied in agriculture.

Reference	Plant preparation, dose, way and time of treatment, animals	The toxic substance, dose, way and time of exposure, and negative effects	Protective effects of plant preparation	Effects of plant per se
Chaâbane et al. [6]	Nitraria retusa fruit aqueous extract; Pretreatment for 6 days and treatment during penconazole exposure; 300 mg/kg b.w., p.o., daily; Male Wistar rats about 250 g	A fungicide penconazole-induced kidney injury; 67 mg/kg b.w. (1/30 LD50) i.p., every 2 days from 7^th until 15^th day; Plasma: GGT, ALP ↓; CR, urea, UA, LDH ↑; Urine: volume ↑, CR, urea, UA ↓; Kidney: LDH, MDA, H2O2, PC, AOPP, NP-SH, GSH, MT, CAT, SOD, GPx ↑; Kidney: enlarged Bowman’s space, necrosis of the epithelial cells lining the tubules, infiltration of leucocytes, glomeruli fragmentation ↑	Plasma: ALP (+), urea, LDH, GGT (++), CR, UA (+++); Urea: UA (+), volume, CR, urea (++); Kidney: LDH, MDA, H2O2, PC, AOPP, NP-SH, GSH, CAT, SOD, GPx (++), MT (+++); Kidney: necrosis of the epithelial cells lining the tubules (++), enlarged Bowman’s space, infiltration of leucocytes, glomeruli fragmentation (+++)	Plasma: urea, LDH ↑; Urine: volume ↑, CR, urea ↓
Alzahrani et al. [15]	Standardized Tribulus Terrestris extract tablets; 1000 mg (min. 45% saponins); Now Sports Co. (USA); 5 or 10 mg/kg daily, p.o., for 17 days; Male Swiss albino mice, 20-28 g	A pesticide rotenone-induced parkinsonism, nine doses of 1 mg/kg given each , s.c.; Activity index (18^th day) ↓; Substantia nigra: % of pycnotic neurons ↑, % of viable neurons ↓; Striatum: relative expression of iNOS, COX-2 and MTH 1, MDA, 8-OH-dG ↑, dopamine, GSH, SOD, CAT ↓	Activity index (18^th day) (+ 5, +++ 10); Substantia nigra: % of viable neurons (+ 50, +++ 10), % of pycnotic neurons (++ 5, +++ 10); Striatum: GSH, SOD, MDA (0 5, ++ 10), CAT (0 5, +++ 10), dopamine (+ 5, ++ 10), relative expression of COX-2 and iNOS (++ both doses), 8-OH-dG and relative expression of MTH 1 (++ 5, +++ 10)	None
Selmi et al. [71]	Lavandula stoechas essential oils; 50 mg/kg b.w., p.o., for 30 days; Male mice,; 8-week old, 25-30 g	Malathion (a pesticide) 200 mg/kg b.w./day for 30 days, p.o.; Serum: T ↓; Testis: relative weight, MDA, H2O2 ↑, -SH groups, GPx, CAT, SOD total, Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD ↓; Epididymis: relative weight, MDA, H2O2 ↑, -SH groups, GPx, CAT, SOD total, Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD ↓	Serum: T (+++); Testis: Mn-SOD (0), -SH groups, SOD total (++), relative weight, MDA, H2O2, GPx, Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT (+++); Epididymis: CAT and H2O2 (++), relative weight, MDA, -SH groups, GPx, SOD total, Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD (+++)	Testis: CAT ↑
El Arem et al. [7]	Phoenix dactylifera L. date palm fruit aqueous extract; 4 mL/kg daily, p.o., for 2 months; Male Wistar rats 180–200 g	Dichloroacetic acid (a fungicide); 0.5 g/L or 2 g/L as drinking water, for 2 months; 0.5 g/L: Weight: testes, epididymis ↓; Plasma: T, FSH, LH ↓; Testes: CAT, SOD, LPO ↑, GSH ↓; 2 g/L: Weight: testes, epididymis ↓; Plasma: T, FSH, LH ↓; Testes: CAT, SOD, LPO ↑, GSH, GPx ↓	0.5 g/L of dichloroacetic acid: Weight: testes, epididymis (+++); Plasma: T, FSH, LH (+++); Testes: CAT, SOD, LPO, GSH (+++); 2 g/L of dichloroacetic acid: Weight: testes (++), epididymis (+++); Plasma: T, FSH, LH (++); Testes: CAT, SOD, GSH, LPO (++), GPx (+++)	None
Mossa et al. [9]	Vitis vinifera grape pomace (El Kroom Company, Alexandria, Egypt); 80% ethanolic extract; 100 or 200 mg/kg b.w., p.o., 28 consecutive days; Weanling female rats about 50 g	Cypermethrin (an insecticide); 25 mg/kg b.w. (1/10 of LD50), p.o., for 28 consecutive days; Relative weight: liver ↓, kidney ↑; Serum: TP, ALB ↓, AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, urea nitrogen, CR ↑; Liver: Kupffer cell activation, portal infiltration with inflammatory cells, hyperplasia of bile duct, congestion of central vein and hepatic sinusoids ↑; Kidney: vacuolization of endothelial lining glomerular tuft, vacuolization of epithelial lining renal tubules, necrosis of epithelial ↑	Relative weight: liver, kidney (+++ both doses); Serum: ALT, CR (++ both doses), AST, ALP, GGT, TP (++ 100, +++ 200), ALB, urea nitrogen (+++ both doses); Liver: Kupffer cell activation (+ 100, ++ 200), portal infiltration with inflammatory cells, hyperplasia of bile duct, congestion of central vein and hepatic sinusoids (+++ both doses); Kidney: vacuolization of endothelial lining glomerular tuft (++ 100, +++ 200), vacuolization of epithelial lining renal tubules, necrosis of epithelial (+++ both doses)	Both doses: Liver: Kupffer cell activation ↑
Mirzaei et al. [2]	Quercus brantii 70% ethanol extract of internal layer of the fruit; 500 mg/kg, p.o., for 9 days; Male Wistar albino rats, 150-200 g	Carbendazim: methyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate; (a fungicide agent), 50 mg/kg p.o., for 9 days; Serum: ALT, AST, ALP, urea nitrogen, CR ↑; Liver: MDA ↑, GSH ↓; Kidney: MDA ↑, GSH ↓	Serum: ALT, AST, ALP, urea nitrogen, CR (++); Liver: MDA (+), GSH (++); Kidney: MDA, GSH (++)	Not studied
Khalaf et al. [8]	Punica granatum L. pomegranate peel methanol extract; 250 mg/kg daily, i.g., for 4 weeks; Male Wistar rats, 140-160 g	Gibberellic acid-3 (a plant growth regulator); 20 mg/kg i.g., daily for 4 weeks; Testes: area percent of androgen receptor immunoreaction, SOD, CAT ↓	Testes: area percent of androgen receptor immunoreaction, SOD, CAT (+++)	None

↓: a decrease vs. control; ↑: an increase vs. control; (+): a slight beneficial effect; (++): a distinct beneficial effect; (+++): a complete beneficial effect; (0): no beneficial effect.