Dietary inclusion of sorghum (Sorghum bicolour) straw dye protects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats.

CONTEXT

Sorghum straw (dried leaves and stem fiber) extracts and infusion are employed in the management of several ailments in folklore, and it is also a natural dye source used in food preparation.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to investigate the modulatory effect of dietary inclusion of Sorghum straw dye on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and antioxidant status in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each. Groups I (normal rats) and II (control rats) were fed with basal diet while Groups III and IV were fed with diets containing 0.5% and 1% sorghum straw dye, respectively. Nephrotoxicity was induced in Groups I-IV on the 20th day by the administration of a single dose of cisplatin solution (7 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) and the experiment was terminated 3 d after. Thereafter, the kidney and plasma of the rats were analyzed for kidney function (creatinine, urea, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen) and antioxidant indices [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamin C, and reduced glutathione (GSH)].

RESULTS

The average feed intake of the rats in all the groups ranged from 9.0 to 9.5 (g/rat/day). Furthermore, the result indicated that administration of cisplatin caused significant (p < 0.05) elevation in plasma creatinine (2.2 mg/dL), uric acid (39.3 mg/dL), urea (81.4 mg/dL), and blood urea nitrogen (38.0 mg/dL) as well as a concomitant decrease in kidney antioxidant indices in control rats as against the normal rats. However, diets supplemented with 0.5 and 1.0% sorghum straw dye significantly reversed the plasma creatinine and the kidney antioxidant indices to near normal levels.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The study suggests that dietary inclusion of sorghum straw dye as colorants could protect against oxidative stress and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.