Determination Of Antioxidant And Metal Chelating Properties Of Tea (Camelia Sinensis) In Ameliorating Cadmium Induced Toxicity In Male Wistar Rats.

ABSTRACT

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous environmental and industrial pollutantwhose exact toxicity mechanisms still remain elusive. However, cumulative data has implicated bioaccumulation as well as free radical generation in the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of cadmium induced toxicity. Chelation therapy with calcium disodium ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid (CaNa2EDTA), British Anti Lewisite (BAL), meso 2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) is so far among the best known treatment against heavy metal poisoning. Nevertheless, this treatment is compromised by grave side-effects such as depletion of essential metals, inability to pass through the cellular membranes and redistribution of the metals to the body organs etc.This study evaluated the modulatory effects of Kenyan black and green tea extracts in comparison with Na2EDTA on experimentally induced cadmium toxicity in the brain, liver, kidney, testes and bones of male wistar albino rats. This is because tea is non-toxic and is endowed with metal chelating and antioxidant properties as well as its ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). Subcutaneous administration of cadmium chloride induced renal, hepatic, neuronal, testicular and bone damage which was evident from the significantly (P