THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF (FOENICULUM VULGARE) OIL ON ETOPOSIDE-INDUCED GENOTOXICITY ON MALE ALBINO RATS

Islam El-Garawani, Sobhy Hassab El Nabi and Eman El-Ghandour*

ABSTRACT

Etoposide is an anticancer drug that belonging to topoisomerase II inhibitors. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Apiaceae. The present study evaluated the possible protective potential of oral simultaneous treatment of fennel oil (0.5 &1 mg/kg body weight) every 48 hours for 21 days against the genotoxic effects of etoposide intraperitoneal administration (5 mg/kg body weight) every 72 hours for 21 days on bone marrow and testis in male albino rat (Rattus norvegicus). Seventy two adult male albino rats were used as the following, 36 rats (6 for each group) were prepared for DNA, sperm head abnormalities and total protein (they were received the treatments for 21 days). The other 36 rats were used for chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow in addition to mitotic index in bone marrow and testis evaluation (they were received the treatments for 72 hours only). Animals treated with etoposide showed DNA fragmentations on agarose gel electrophoresis and a significant increase (P≤0.001) in the percentage of bone marrow total chromosomal aberrations (TCA: 230.3±1.9) with marked decrease (P≤0.01) in mitotic index in both bone marrow and testis (39.6±10.9 & 17.8±4.3) respectively. Sperm head abnormalities were significantly (P≤0.001) increased also after etoposide treatment (68.9±2.17). Total Protein contents in testis were increased after etoposide treatment. While simultaneous treatment of fennel oil (either 0.5 or 1 mg/kg b. wt.) improved the protein levels. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that fennel oil exerted a protective effect against genotoxicity and cytotoxicity induced by etoposide that may be due to its antioxidant effects. Consequently, we recommended that fennel oil can be suggested to be administrated as co-medicine in chemotherapeutic treatments of cancer.

Keywords: Etoposide, Fennel oil, DNA, Chromosomal aberrations, Mitotic index.