Melatonin attenuates carbendazim-induced renal oxidative stress in rats

Abstract

Carbendazim, a widely used agricultural fungicide, poses considerable risks to animal health by inducing renal oxidative stress. The present study investigates the protective potential of melatonin against carbendazim-mediated disturbances in renal redox homeostasis in Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats (n = 6 per group) were randomly assigned to four groups. The I group served as the control. The II group received carbendazim at 100 mg/kg body weight. The III group was treated with melatonin at 10 mg/kg body weight. The IV group received a combination of carbendazim and melatonin. All treatments were administered orally once daily for 28 days. Renal tissues were analyzed for key oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers, including lipid peroxidation (LPO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), and reduced glutathione (GSH). Carbendazim exposure markedly elevated LPO and ROS levels while significantly decreasing CAT, SOD, GPX, and GR activities, as well as GSH content, reflecting pronounced oxidative injury. Melatonin supplementation effectively mitigated these alterations, restoring antioxidant defences and reducing oxidative stress markers. Overall, the findings underscore melatonin’s nephroprotective potential and its applicability as a supportive therapeutic agent for managing pesticide-induced renal oxidative damage in animals. These results offer important insights for Veterinary toxicology, suggesting that melatonin may provide meaningful protection against renal impairment arising from environmental or agricultural pesticide exposure.