The Study of Anti Genotoxic Effects of Saffron Aqueous Extract in Cadmium Chloride Exposed Mice Kidney by Comet Assay

Cadmium and its derivatives are important environmental and occupational pollutant which stored in human kidney and liver. Cadmium is known as genotoxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic and DNA damaging agents. Crocus sativus L (Saffron) is used in Traditional medicine as anti tumorogenic and anti cancer agent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti toxicity and anti genotoxicity effects of aqueous extracts of Crocus sativus stigmas in Swiss-Webster mice kidney. To investigate possible protective effects of saffron against chromosomal damage induced by cadmium chloride in kidney of mice, the animals randomly divided in six groups: normal, saline, saffron, saf+cad, cad+saf. Cadmium (30 µmol/kg) and aqueous extract of saffron (100mg/kg) was administered peritoneally for 3days. Cadmium toxicity was investigated by malondialdehyd (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) concentration in liver homogenate as an indicator of lipid per oxidation and oxidative stress. DNA damage in kidney was studied using alkaline single cell electrophoresis (comet assay). The results show that cadmium can induce significant cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in kidney. The DNA damage and cytotoxicity were significantly decreased in both pre and post treatment animals with aqueous extract of saffron. Moreover the results show that saffron has protective effects against oxidative stress and genotooxicity damage of cadmium. Therefore, use of saffron as a diet complement may be suitable for protection in industrial workers which have exposed to cadmium.