Therapeutic Efficacy of Helianthemum lippii Extract and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from the Extract against Cadmium-Induced Renal Nephrotoxicity in Wistar Rats

Abstract

This study explored the therapeutic efficacy of <i>Helianthemum lippii</i> and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) synthesized using a <i>H. lippii</i> extract to alleviate cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats. Sub-acute toxicity assessments of <i>H. lippii</i> (100 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg, and 4000 mg/kg) and Ag NPs (2 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) did not find any significant difference, compared with untreated control rats (<i>n</i> = 3 animals/group). Then, the adult Wistar rats were divided into one control (untreated/unexposed) and six experimental groups (<i>n</i> = 5/group): Ag NPs alone, <i>H. lippii</i> alone, exposure to 50 mg/kg CdCl₂ in drinking water for 35 days, exposure to CdCl₂ for 35 days followed by treatment with 0.1 mg/kg/day Ag NPs (intraperitoneal injection) and/or 100 mg/kg/day <i>H. lippii</i> by gavage for 15 days. In the CdCl₂-exposed group, body weight decreased; urea, creatinine, and uric acid concentrations increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05 vs. control), indicative of nephrotoxicity, antioxidant defenses (SOD, GSH, and CAT) were reduced, and malondialdehyde concentration increased. Moreover, the kidney's architecture in CdCl₂-exposed rats was altered: fibrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, glomerular destruction, and tubular dilatation. Treatment with <i>H. lippii</i> and/or Ag NPs after CdCl₂ exposure improved some of the renal function and architecture alterations induced by CdCl₂, and also increased body weight. This study underscores the potential therapeutic applications of <i>H. lippii</i> and Ag NPs to decrease oxidative stress and promote xenobiotic detoxification, in line with the growing emphasis on environmentally conscious practices in scientific research and healthcare.