Novel quinoline derivative and Artemisia spicigera alleviates against propanil-induced toxicity: the in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation

Abstract

Propanil is the most widely used herbicide in the world, which posing a great threat to environmental health. A novel heterocycle featuring quinoline and anthracene linked by a triazole bridge within a single scaffold has been developed using a molecular hybridization strategy. The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential nephroprotective and hepatoprotective properties of a newly synthesized 1,2,3-triazol-quinoline derivative (TQD) and Artemisia spicigera K.Koch. in relation to SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, MDA, GSH, PCO, Co, Cu, Zn levels in the kidney and liver tissues, TSA, ?-tocopherol, cholecalciferol, retinol, and phylloquinone in the serum samples and histopathological alterations and caspase-3 expression immunohistochemically in the female rats exposed to propanil (PRP)-mediated oxidative stress. In the study, a total of fifty-six Wistar albino female rats were assigned into seven groups; control, olive oil, PRP (200 mg/kg), TQD (0.4 mg/kg), Artemisia spicigera (300 mg/kg), PRP (200 mg/kg) + A. spicigera (300 mg/kg), and PRP (200 mg/kg) + TQD (0.4 mg/kg/). According to analysis results, significantly decreased liver and kidney tissue GSH (p < 0.01, p < 0.01), CAT (p < 0.01, p < 0.01), SOD (p < 0.01, p < 0.01), Zn (p < 0.001, p < 0.01), serum retinol (p < 0.01), ?-tocopherol (p < 0.001), increased PCO (p < 0.01, p < 0.01), MDA (p < 0.001, p < 0.05), Cu (p < 0.05, p < 0.05), and Cu/Zn (p < 0.001, p < 0.001) PRP exposure in compared to control group. The results showed that the TQD and A. spicigera exhibited effective antioxidant and antihemolytic activity. This suggests that A. spicigera and TQD may reduce many of the oxidative-damaging effects of PRP toxicity and could be a good choice for protecting against the nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, and hematotoxic adverse effects of propanil. In addition, PCO, CAT, SOD, GSH, Cu, and Cu/Zn were proposed as bioindicators of environmental contaminants for propanil-induced oxidative damage. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.