Please cite this article in press as: Magendira Mani V, et al. A dietary flavanone glycoside naringin modulates the abnormali- ties of human erythrocytes exposed with deltamethrin, by upregulating the expression of antioxidants. Biomed Prev Nutr (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bionut.2013.10.003 ARTICLE IN PRESS G Model BIONUT-191; No. of Pages 6 Biomedicine & Preventive Nutrition xxx (2013) xxx–xxx Available online at ScienceDirect www.sciencedirect.com Original article A dietary flavanone glycoside naringin modulates the abnormalities of human erythrocytes exposed with deltamethrin, by upregulating the expression of antioxidants Vinayagam Magendira Mani a , Adikesavan Gokulakrishnan a , Abdul Majeet Mohammed Sadiq b,∗ a Department of Biochemistry, Islamiah College (Autonomous), Vaniyambadi, 635 752 Tamil Nadu, India b Department of Biochemistry, Adiparasakthi College of Arts and Science, Kalavai, Tamil Nadu, India a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 21 September 2013 Accepted 16 October 2013 Keywords: Deltamethrin Naringin Antioxidant enzymes Oxidative stress Lipid peroxidation Hemolysis a b s t r a c t The protective effect of naringin on deltamethrin poisoning in human erythrocyte was studied using an in vitro model. Hemolysis, percentage met-hemoglobin, lipid peroxidation, glutathione, antioxidant enzymes and erythrocyte ghost protein pattern were assessed to investigate the effect of naringin. Eryth- rocytes at a hematocrit of 10% were incubated with 500 ppm of deltamethrin and/or 0.1 M naringin under physiological conditions of temperature and pH for 2 h. Deltamethrin significantly increased the percent- age of hemolysis and met-hemoglobin in human erythrocytes as compared to the control erythrocytes and naringin significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited the percentage of hemolysis and met-hemoglobin. The levels of lipid peroxides and conjugated diene increased whereas the level of glutathione decreased signifi- cantly (P < 0.05) by deltamethrin-incubated erythrocytes. Naringin significantly inhibited the formation of lipid peroxides and conjugated diene while increased the glutathione level in erythrocytes incubated with deltamethrin. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymic antioxidants were decreased in erythrocytes incubated with deltamethrin whereas naringin improved the activities of these antioxidant and non-enzymic antioxidants. SDS–PAGE of erythrocyte ghost protein pattern showed an alteration in the protein bands by deltamethrin poisoning but naringin significantly inhibited the alteration in protein profile. The present study divulges that naringin can reduce the abnormalities of deltamethrin poisoning by ameliorating oxidative stress. This finding raises the possibility that naringin may provide protection from pesticide poisoning. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. 1. Introduction Agricultural pesticide poisoning is a major public health prob- lem in the developing world. Suicide and deliberate self-harm using pesticides is a major but under-recognized public health problem in the developing world. Each year 250,000–370,000 thousand peo- ple die from deliberate ingestion of pesticides [1]. Recently, more than 56 school students died after eating pesticide, poisoned food in Patna and Bhopal, India, in the month of July 2013. Pyrethroids are structural derivatives of naturally occurring pyrethrins, which are present in pyrethrum, an extract from the flowers, Chrysanthemum cinerarifolium. Two distinct classes of pyrethroids have been identified type I and II, based upon ∗ Corresponding author. Department of Biochemistry, Adiparasakthi College of Arts and Science, Kalavai, Tamil Nadu, India. Tel.: +91 4173 242 644; Mobile: +91 9443 449 881. E-mail addresses: magendiramani@rediffmail.com (V. Magendira Mani), mohammed65@rediffmail.com (A.M. Mohammed Sadiq). their chemical structure and clinical manifestations of acute exposure [2]. Pyrethroids are a class of synthetic insecticides involved in different neurological disorders affecting humans, especially infants/fetus, the elderly, and those with chronic neu- rological or immune conditions [3]. Studies have documented that chronic exposures can cause chronic health conditions or symptoms similar to such conditions as Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD/autism, and develop- mental deficits/birth defects/learning disabilities [4]. Pyrethroids cross the blood-brain barrier and exert their effect on dopami- nergic system, contributing to the burden of oxidative stress. Deltamethrin (DLM), [(S)––cyano–3-phenoxybenzyl-(1R, 3R)–3- (2,2-dibromovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclo-propane–1-carboxylate], is one of the most neurotoxic pyrethroids. It acts by delaying closure of sodium channels, resulting in a tail current that is characterized by a slow influx of sodium during the end of neuronal depolariza- tion [5]. As the pharmacological action of the pyrethroids including deltamethrin, it has been shown that they modify the gating kinet- ics of axonal Na + channels involved in the inward flow of Na + ions, producing the action potential in cells that are normally closed at 2210-5239/$ – see front matter © 2013 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bionut.2013.10.003