Dietary Spirulina platensis alleviates aluminum and aluminum fluoride induced histopathological and biochemical alterations in mice kidney

Abstract

Aluminum and its salts widely used in our daily life have been reported nephrotoxic to humans and animals following prolonged exposure. Therefore, the present study was made to examine the renoprotective role of Spirulina platensis against Al³⁺ and AlF₃ in male Swiss albino mice. Exposure to these chemicals decreased feed and water intake, and body and kidney weights. Histology of kidney and their biochemistry were also markedly altered along with that of serum biochemistry. Spirulina not only minimize toxic effects of test chemicals but also favored faster recovery of treated mice after their withdrawal.

Keywords:

• aluminum and aluminum fluoride
• sub-acute and sub-chronic toxicity
• male Swiss albino mice
• kidney
• histopathology
• spirulina

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the CSIR for providing fellowship to N. Yadav [grant number 09/149(0547)/2009-EMR-I]; UGC [grant number F 15- 1 PDFWM 2013-14-GE-RAJ-17495] for awarding fellowships to Dr Shweta Sharma; ICMR [grant number 3/1/3/jrf-2008/hrd-99(30293)] for providing fellowship to A. Pandey and the Heads, Botany and Zoology Department, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur for laboratory facilities.