Toxicological Evaluation of Biodiesel Emission Particles (BEP) Using Rat Models

Abstract

The present study is an attempt to elucidate the effect of biodiesel emission particles (BEP) on some antioxidant enzymes of selected tissues of rats. Rats were exposed to emission particles (EP) of biodiesel blended with fuel diesel at 100BD, 75BD, 50BD and 25BD as well as fuel diesel (FD) over a period of ten days. Enzyme assays were conducted for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the liver, lungs, brain and serum of rats. Lungs CAT activity of Control is 229% higher than that of FD and789% that of 100BD. There existed no significant difference (p>0.05) in the brain CAT activity among all treatment groups. Serum CAT activity of Control group was significantly higher (p<0.05) relative to other groups of rats and about 2 folds that of rats in FD group. Data obtained from this study shows that the BEP is capable of inducing oxidative stress in tissues of rats by a mechanism where superoxides, lipid hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxides are generated which in turn depletes total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the rat.
Key words: Biodiesel, emission particles, diesel, antioxidants, enzymes