Lipid peroxidation and changes in major antioxidant markers in copper quinolate fungicide-exposed rats.

This study focused on the sub-chronic toxic effects of copper quinolate (CuQ), an organic copper-based fungicide, on liver and kidney function in adult male Wistar rats. Rats orally exposed to increasing doses of CuQ (47, 67.1, and 94 mg/kg body weight) for eight weeks exhibited dose-dependent decreases in body weight and significant alterations in biochemical markers indicative of hepatic and renal dysfunction, including elevated serum enzymes (AST, ALP, LDH), increased urea, creatinine, and uric acid levels, and decreased total protein and albumin. CuQ exposure also induced oxidative stress, evidenced by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased antioxidant defenses such as glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities in liver and kidney tissues. Histopathological analysis confirmed dose-dependent degenerative and necrotic changes in liver and kidney structures. The findings suggest that sub-chronic CuQ exposure causes oxidative damage and functional impairment in these vital organs.