Effect of olive oil on oxidative and DNA damage induced by imidacloprid

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of olive oil (OLO) on the genotoxicity of imidacloprid (IMI). Rats were divided into four groups: control group, IMI group that was exposed to 22.5 mg/kg b.w. IMI for 4, 8, and 12 weeks; OLO before IMI group – dosed orally with OLO at a dose of 10 mL/kg body weight for two weeks before IMI exposure of 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The OLO after IMI group was treated with OLO in a dose of 10 mL /kg body weight for two weeks after IMI exposure of 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels were measured in blood serum. The bone marrow from the femur was collected for the comet assay. The results revealed that exposure to IMI induced DNA damage, which was associated with increased blood MDA level and decreased GPx activity. However, treatment with OLO resulted in decreasing both DNA damage and MDA level while increasing GPx activity. On the other hand, pre-treatment with OLO was effective in decreasing the DNA damaging effect of IMI.