the protective effect of hydro-alcoholic extracts of cactus fruit (opuntia dillenii (ker gawl.) haw.) and star fruit (averrhoa carambola l.) on histological changes induced by cadmium chloride in lungs of male wistar rats

Nowadays because of urban life, every vital resource has been polluted with heavy metals that are real prooxidants, cactus fruit and star fruit both have anti-oxidant activities and can protect animal tissues from oxidative stress. the purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of cactus fruit and star fruit extract on histological changes induced by cadmium in the lungs of wistar rats. an experimental study was performed on 24 male wistar rats over 16 days, animals were randomly divided into four groups of six; negative control group, the positive control group that was poisoned at 2 mg/kg every 48 hours. group 3 was the cadmium-poisoned group that was gavaged with cactus fruit extract at 200 mg/kg. group 4 was the cadmium-poisoned group that was gavaged with star fruit extract at 200 mg/kg, administration of extracts was 90 minutes before the poisoning, after 16 days, the rats were euthanized by heart blood drainage under anesthesia. the main findings in the positive control group were the destruction of tissue architecture with the development of edema, hyperemia and congestion. destruction of alveoli and air-space enlargement occurred. vasculature structures were damaged and some degree of inflammation and fibrosis happened, but the changes were much milder in the two other groups. both fruits extract had high protective effects, each of them protected lung tissue against cadmium oxidative damage but cactus fruit extract seems to have more protection than star fruit extract.