Toxicological assessment of exposure to pharmaceutical effluents in rats for 28 days by repeated oral dose.

The widespread presence of contaminants in various zones of the environment raises an alarming signal for the need of assessing their ability in causing deleterious health effects in humans and degradation of environment. This investigation mainly aims at evaluation of the genotoxicity and oxidative damage induced by the pharmaceutical industry wastes in Hyderabad, India. Pollution load in effluents was determined by water quality assessment and heavy metal analysis. Wistar rats were orally administered low, medium, and high doses of effluents for a 28-day period, collected from two private and one government pharmaceuticals' manufacturing units. DNA damage quantification in peripheral blood lymphocytes and liver was done using comet assay and micronucleus test in bone marrow cells. Oxidative stress assessment was done by estimation of reduced glutathione, catalase, and malondialdehyde levels. Effluent-induced histopathological changes were reported in the liver and kidney tissues of rats treated that received a high dose of effluent. Significant induction of genotoxicity and alterations in antioxidant enzymes and serum biochemistry parameters were documented. Results of this study reveal altered levels of various physicochemical parameters, above permissible limits in pharmaceutical industry treated effluent indicating their potential role as a disastrous contaminant. The study innovatively evaluates the chronic effects of pharmaceutical effluents on rat health, providing critical insights into systemic toxicity, biochemical alterations, and potential health risks after 28-day repeated oral exposure.