Türk Doğa ve Fen Dergisi, cilt.12, sa.2, ss.132-137, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi)
Arsenic is a very dangerous metal that is widely distributed in the environment as a result of anthropogenic and natural processes. On the other hand, it is thought that treatment with natural flavonoids may protect against arsenic toxicity. Carvacrol (CRV) is a naturally occurring phenolic compound with anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant properties. This study aims to investigate the protective effects of CRV on sodium arsenite (SA)-induced intestinal toxicity. For this purpose, rats were randomly divided into five groups and administered SA and CRV orally for 14 days. The data indicate that when SA is administered, lipid peroxidation increase and antioxidant enzyme activities decrease. The administration of CRV ameliorated this impairment in the antioxidant defense system. Examining the expression levels of NF-κB and IL- 1β revealed that inflammation increased with SA application but decreased with CRV administration. Moreover, the expression levels of Caspase-3 and Apaf1 increased in rats treated with SA, whereas the severity of apoptosis decreased when CRV was administered. In light of these findings, it is possible to state that CRV protects tissues from damage by presenting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects in SA-induced intestinal toxicity.