Nephroprotective roles of local licorice, peppermint extracts and their mixture on gentamicin-induced renal insufficiency in Wistar albino rats

Aminoglycosides (AGs) such as gentamicin (gen) are considered as the optimum therapy for many infections and diseases. Unfortunately, AGs treatment has been linked to acute kidney injury that is also referred to as nephrotoxicity. In the current study, we sought to explore the protective roles of peppermint (pep) and licorice (Lic) extracts as well as their mixture on gen-induced nephrotoxicity. Forty male and female Wistar albino rats were divided into 5 experimental groups: C- was administered with 2 ml of normal saline as a single daily dose intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 14 d. C+ was administered with once-daily i.p. injections of 100 mg/kg BW gen for 8 d. T1 group was administered once-daily i.p. of gen (100mg/kg BW) for 8 d. and Lic ethanolic extract (EE) (100mg/kg BW) every 12 hr for 14 d. T2 was administered once-daily i.p. of gen for 8 d. and pep EE (100mg/kg BW) every 12 hr for 14 d. T3 was administered once-daily i.p. of gen for 8 d. in addition to lic and pep EE mixture (100mg/kg BW) every 12 hr for 14 d. At the end of the study, all rats were anesthetized and trunk blood collected to study renal injury parameters. Those include serum enzymes such as AST, ALT, and ALP; kidney damage markers including urea, creatinine, and total protein; serum electrolytes including Cl, K, and Na levels as well as other renal function markers such as Glutathione peroxidase (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). All the parameters that indicated the nephrotoxicity occurrence in the C+ group in response to gen were found to be highly improved in most of the studied aspects in T1, T2, and T3. We found that Lic and pep extracts improve renal injury, kidney damage, and renal function markers opposed to gentamicin treatment. In conclusion, our study suggests prescribing those remedies to AGs receiving patients.