Nicotine

Emblica officinalis (Amla) is widely used in the Indian system of medicine and is believed to increase defense mechanism against diseases. It is one of oriental traditional medicine used for hepatic and lung disorders from time immemorial. Nicotine is the most abundant component in cigarette smoke; it is first metabolized in the liver and induced lung and liver damages. Present study was carried out to investigate the effect of Emblica officinalis on nicotine induced toxicity for antioxidant status in rats. Male wistar rats were used for the experimental study. Toxicity was induced by oral administration of nicotine at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight for 32 days, in rats which caused a significant decrease in the levels of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Total reduced glutathione (GSH) and Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in plasma, lung, liver, kidney and brain. The levels of SOD, CAT, GSH and GPx were found to increase on administration of Emblica officinalis (250 & 500 mg/kg body weight) for 7 days (after 32 days of nicotine administration as maintained earlier). The result suggested that 500 mg/kg body weight group showed significance effect than the 250 mg/kg body weight indicating the effect to be dose dependent