Ameliorative effect of Panax quinquefolius on sodium arsenite induced toxicity in Charles Foster rats

An estimated 70 million population are exposed to arsenic poisoning in India in the 2020. The present study is aimed to develop the antidote for arsenic-induced toxicity in Charles Foster rats. A total of n=18 rats (12 weeks old) of an average weight of 160 ± 20 g were used for the study. The study group included three groups, n=6 control (Group I: Untreated ) and n= 12 (group II) treated with sodium arsenite orally at the dose of 8mg/Kg b.w daily for 6 months. The n= 6 animals were dissected and the rest n=6 (Group III) was administered orally with Panax quinquefolius (Ginseng) root ethanolic extract at 300mg/Kg body weight per day for 8 weeks. All the animals were sacrificed after the completion of their respective doses and their blood samples were taken for haematological and biochemical evaluation, while the vital tissues such as liver and kidneys for the histopathological study. The study revealed significant fluctuation (p<0.0001/p<0.001/p<0.05) in the haematological parameters viz. leukocyte count, haemoglobin, red blood cell count, haematocrit percentage, MCV, MCH and MCHC and biochemical parameters such as SGPT, SGOT, ALP, bilirubin, urea, uric acid, creatinine and lipid peroxidation in arsenic-treated groups. There was a significant reduction (p<0.0001/p<0.001/p<0.05) in the levels of haematological and biochemical parameters after the administration of ginseng extract. Similarly, the histopathological study revealed a high magnitude of degeneration in the hepatocytes and nephrocytes after the treatment of arsenic, but after the administration of ginseng extract, there was significant restoration at the cellular level. Thus, the root extract of P. quinquefolius possessed significant ameliorative properties against arsenic-induced toxicity in rats.