ORIGINAL ARTICLE Biochemical plasma profile of male rats exposed to smoke of agarwood (Aquilaria spp.) Isaac Karimi & Lora A. Becker & Abdolali Chalechale & Ali Ghashghaii Received: 29 September 2010 / Accepted: 24 March 2011 / Published online: 9 April 2011 # Springer-Verlag London Limited 2011 Abstract In oriental regions, the resinous agarwood from Aquilaria trees is used during daily Asian religious practices and/or ceremonies either alone or as a part of incense burning. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect agarwood stick smoke on certain biochemical parameters. Ten male adult rats were divided into two groups (n =5 each): Smoke-treated animals were exposed to agarwood smoke in a smoking apparatus for four sessions (1 h/day) per week and control animals exposed only to compressed air in a smoking apparatus similar to the smoke-exposed group. Blood samples were collected on the 28th day of the experiment to determine levels of a number of biochemical parameters: lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, creatine phosphoki- nase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, globulin, albumin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low- density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, cortisol, and testosterone. The changes in body weight and biochemical parameters were not statistically significant after exposure to agarwood smoke with respect to the control group. The only significant decrease was in plasma testosterone level and was observed in the smoking group in comparison to the control group which led us to consider agarwood as an endocrine disruptor. Keywords Aquilaria spp. . Agarwood . Biochemical parameters . Testosterone Introduction Aquilaria spp. are evergreen trees that belong to the plant family Thymelaeaceae. Agarwood is the resinous heart- wood from Aquilaria trees native to oriental regions. The trees become wounded or infected with mold and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack (Rätsch 1996). The incense of this endangered centuries-old plant has been used in religious ceremonies in Asian religions like Zen, Buddhism, Taoism, Sanskrit, and Islam (Sufism and Mysticism). For example, all openings of the body are closed with rags soaked in oil of agarwood for Sufi meditations. According to the Islamic mysticism, agarwood is used for advanced stages of spiritual growth. This valuable incense (ood, oud, and oudh in Persian and Arabic literatures derived from “Al Oud,” the lute) is also known by different names like agarwood, aloewood, eaglewood, jinkoh, gaharu, and agaro in other regions. Oud is used in shops, houses, and Muslim mosques as a fragrance and its incense is offered in ceremonies and liturgy. In religious services, incense composed of oud, ambergris, musk, and frankincense has been variously used to fumigate, heal, I. Karimi (*) Department of Biochemistry, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Razi University, PO Box 67156-85414, Kermanshah, Iran e-mail: isaac_karimi2000@yahoo.com I. Karimi e-mail: karimiisaac@razi.ac.ir L. A. Becker Department of Psychology, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN 47722, USA A. Chalechale Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran A. Ghashghaii Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran Comp Clin Pathol (2012) 21:1053–1058 DOI 10.1007/s00580-011-1227-2