Curcumin prevents perfluorooctane sulfonate-induced genotoxicity and oxidative DNA damage in rat peripheral blood.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a man-made fluorosurfactant and global pollutant. PFOS a persistent and bioaccumulative compound, and it is widely distributed in humans and wildlife. Therefore, it was added to Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in May 2009. Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound abundant in the rhizome of the perennial herb turmeric. It is commonly used as a dietary spice and coloring agent in cooking and anecdotally as an herb in traditional Asian medicine. In this study, male rats were treated with three different PFOS doses (0.6, 1.25, and 2.5 mg/kg) and one dose of curcumin, from Curcuma longa (80 mg/kg), and combined three doses of PFOS with 80 mg/kg dose of curcumin by gavage for 30 d at 48 h intervals. Here, we investigated the DNA damage via single-cell gel electrophoresis/comet assay and micronucleus test in rat peripheral blood in vivo. It is found that all doses of PFOS increased micronucleus frequency (p < 0.05) and strongly induced DNA damage in peripheral blood in two different parameters; the damaged cell percent and genetically damage index, and curcumin prevented the formation of DNA damage induced by PFOS. Results showed that curcumin inhibited DNA damage including GDI at certain levels at statistical manner, 30.07%, 54.41%, and 36.99% for 0.6 mg/kg, 1.25 mg/kg, and 2.5 mg/kg.