title: Ameliorative effect of Matricaria chamomilla .L on paraquat: Induced oxidative damage in lung rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Herbal medicines have been long used for antioxidant properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hydroalcholic extract Matricaria chamomilla. L (M. chamomilla) against Paraquat (PQ) induced pulmonary injury in association with its antioxidant activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Effective doses of PQ (5 mg/kg/day) and M. chamomilla (50 mg/kg/day) were administered alone or in combination for 7 days. At the end of the experiment, lung tissue of the animals was separated. The activity of enzymatic scavengers such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total antioxidant power (TAP) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In these samples, the LPO, SOD, and GPx were higher in the PQ group as compared with controls. M. chamomilla extract ameliorated LPO, SOD, GPx and increased TAP in plasma and lung tissue of PQ induced changes. Co administration of PQ with M. chamomilla improved LPO and SOD, and GPx.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  M. chamomilla as natural antioxidant may be considered beneficial for the protection oxidative lung injury in PQ poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranjbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohsenzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolkarim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chehregani
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khajavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed-Mostafa Hossini
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zijoud
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
keywords: Lung; Matricaria chamomilla. L; Oxidative stress; Rat; paraquat