PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF RUTIN AGAINST SODIUM ARSENITE-INDUCED HEMATOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN WISTAR RATS

Sodium arsenite (NaAsO₂) is a pervasive environmental toxicant known to induce severe hematological alterations and systemic oxidative stress. Rutin, a natural bioflavonoid, exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting potential protective effects against such toxicity. This study investigated the ameliorative effects of Rutin on sodium arsenite-induced hematological changes and oxidative stress in Wistar rats. Thirty-five rats were divided into five groups (n=7): Group A (Control), Group B (Rutin alone, 50 mg/kg), Group C (Sodium Arsenite alone), Group D (Sodium Arsenite + Rutin 25 mg/kg), and Group E (Sodium Arsenite + Rutin 50 mg/kg). After the experimental period, hematological indices (RBC, Hb, WBC, differential counts, Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio) and oxidative stress markers (Lipid Peroxidation/LPO, Glutathione/GSH, Glutathione S-transferase/GST, Glutathione Peroxidase/GPx, Catalase/CAT, Superoxide Dismutase/SOD) were analyzed. Sodium arsenite exposure (Group C) caused significant (p