Résumé: This work aims to evaluate the protective effect of dendelion Taraxacum officinale against lead toxicity. Female wistar rats were exposed to a diet containing 600 mg lead acetate/Kg food (Pb), or combined with 20 g fresh dendelion leaves/kg food (Pb-DD) and then they have been compared to a control group for 6 consecutive weeks. Some hematological and serum biochemical markers were evaluated. The obtained results indicated a significant decrease in RBC and hemoglobin levels accompanied with a significant increase in methemoglobin of Pb group compared to the control. Regarding the group treated with Pb-DD, RBC counts and hemoglobin level were unchanged, but methemoglobin percentage was significantly higher than the control. Results of Pb group indicated a significant increase in the activities of AST, ALT and alkaline phosphate as well as in the level of total bilirubin and uric acid. However, dendelion suplementation has kept the previous markers within their biochemical ranges, except uric acid. On the other hand, no pronounced variation was seen concerning albumin, cholesterol, creatinine and calcium concentration neither in Pb nor in Pb-DD treated animals. Histological examinations of liver, kidney and ovary have showed no real change in the group treated with Pb-DD compared to control. Contrary, Pb has provoked a cystic structures and vacuolization of liver accompanied with necrosis and micro calcifications of kidney. Degeneration of the ovary tissue with an absence of corona radiata and an apoptosis of granulosa cells was also seen in Pb group. In conclusion, dendelion supplementation to diet contaminated with Pb has remarkably reduced the metal toxicity in female rats.

Résumé: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the protective effect of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) against lead toxicity. Lead is considered to be one of the oxidative stress inducer in different cells and organs. Female wistar rats were exposed to a diet containing 600 mg lead acetate/Kg food (Pb), or combined with 20 g fresh dandelion leaves/kg food (Pb-DD) and then they have been compared to a control group for 6 consecutive weeks. A number of hematological and serum biochemical markers were investigated. The results showed that the Pb group had a significant decrease in RBC and hemoglobin levels, but a significant increase in methemoglobin when compared to the control. RBC counts and hemoglobin levels were unchanged in the Pb-DD group, but methemoglobin percentage was significantly higher than in the control group. The Pb group showed a significant increase in the activities of AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphate, as well as total bilirubin and uric acid levels. Except for uric acid, dandelion supplementation has kept the previous markers within their biochemical ranges. However, no significant differences in albumin, cholesterol, creatinine, or calcium concentrations were observed in either Pb or Pb-DD treated animals. Histological examinations of the liver, kidney, and ovary revealed no significant differences between the Pb-DD-treated group and the control group. Pb, on the other hand, has caused cystic structures and vacuolization of the liver, as well as necrosis and micro calcifications of the kidney. The Pb group also showed ovary tissue degeneration, including the absence of corona radiata and granulosa cell apoptosis. In conclusion, adding dendelion to a Pb-contaminated diet significantly reduced metal toxicity in female rats.

Résumé: Since the industrial revolution, many anthropogenic activities have caused environmental, considerable and overall changes. The lead represents a very dangerous disruptive for the functioning of the body. In this context the current study aims at evaluating a natural therapy by the use of the plant grass in wheat (Triticum durum) against the toxicity of lead in rat wistar male. The rats were divided into three groups: the control group, the group treated with 600 mg /kg food of lead only (Pb) is the group treated with the combination of 600 mg/kg of food and 9g/rat /day of the plant wheatgrass (Pb-wg). The duration of the treatment is 6 weeks.The results of the biometrics of the organs (testis and epididymis) show no significant difference between the three groups. The concentration in serum urea creatinine and cholesterol was significantly increased among the group treated by Pb only in relation to the control and Pb-wg. Whereas the rate of glucose did not show any significant difference.Results showed a very highly significant decrease in the concentration of sperm (P ≤ 0.001) between the control and Pb only. No difference between the control group and Pb-wg was recorded. A very highly significant decrease in the concentration of sperm and Motility (P ≤ 0.001) between the control and Pb only whereas no difference between the control group and Pb-wg was recorded. The parenchyma of the kidney shows a dilation of tubes distal and proximal causing a tubular nephropathy for the batch processed by Pb only. The testicles have marked a destruction or absence of germ cells and the light of some seminiferous are almost empty.The histology study of the kidney, testis and epididymal show no modification at the group Pb-wg comparing to the control. Conclusion: The supplementation of the plant Triticum durum has caused a considerable improvement which ensures the return of parameters investigated in the normal state. keywords Creatinine glucose concentration and motility of sperm lead histological sections

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