Neuroprotective potential of Indigofera oblongifolia leaf methanolic extract against lead acetate-induced neurotoxicity

Lead (Pb) is one of the most common environmental toxicants, exposure to which can cause significant neurotoxicity and an associated decline in brain function. This study investigated the possible neuroprotective role of Indigofera oblongifolia leaf methanolic extract (IOLME) against lead-induced neurotoxicity. Rats were intraperitoneally injected with lead acetate, with or without IOLME (intragastric administration for 5 days), and the neuroprotective effect of IOLME was assessed by measuring the lead concentration, redox status (lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide and glutathione), enzymatic antioxidant activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reductase), PCR assays of apoptosis markers (Bax and Bcl-2) and histopathology of the brain. The increases in the lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, and apoptosis, the decreases in the glutathione level and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the altered histology of the brain induced by lead acetate were mitigated in the brain of rats pre-treated with IOLME. These findings indicate that IOLME has beneficial effects and it mitigates lead acetate-induced neurotoxicity via its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic activities.