Journal of Pharmacy Research Vol.8 Issue 9. September 2014 Debasish Bandyopadhyay et al. / Journal of Pharmacy Research 2014,8(9),1198-1207 1198-1207 Review Article ISSN: 0974-6943 Available online through www.jpronline.info *Corresponding author. Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay Oxidative Stress and Free Radical Biology Laboratory, Department of Physiology University of Calcutta University College of Science and Technology 92, APC Road, Kolkata -700 009, India. Lead induced oxidative stress: a health issue of global concern Debasish Bandyopadhyay 1* #, Debosree Ghosh 1 , Aindrila Chattopadhyay 2 , Syed Benazir Firdaus 1 , Arnab Kumar Ghosh 1 , Sudeshna Paul 1 , Debajit Bhowmik 3 , Sanatan Mishra 1 , Krishnendu Dalui 1 1 Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, University College of Science and Technology, 92, APC Road, Kolkata 700 009, India. 2 Department of Physiology, Vidyasagar College, 39, Sankar Ghosh Lane, Kolkata 700 006. 3 Centre for Research in Nano Science and Nano technology, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy Siksha Prangan, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700 098. #Principal Investigator, Centre with Potential for Excellence in a Particular Area (CPEPA), University of Calcutta, University College of Science and Technology, 92 APC Road, Kolkata 700 009. Received on:21-07-2014; Revised on: 25-08-2014; Accepted on:03-09-2014 ABSTRACT Background/aims: Lead is recognized as one of the major environmental toxins, most widely distributed in the nature. The effect of lead induced toxicity leads to severe health ailments. The most significant one being neural, cardiac, hepatic and renal damages. Method: Studies including our investigations revealed that the underlying story of lead induced oxidative stress mediated damage has been documented to be lead induced generation of free radicals which causes oxidative damages leading to oxidative stress onslaughts. Occupational and environmental exposure to lead is unavoidable for some people in certain parts of the world. Therefore, the only way out remains to provide a protective remedy against lead induced oxidative stress. Results: Researches around the globe are targeting amelioration of lead induced toxicity by administering antioxidant(s). We have found that melatonin or aqueous extract of curry leaves provides protection against lead induced oxidative damages. Aqueous curry leaves extract and melatonin if used in combination, acts synergistically, complements each other and thus provides a better and stronger protection against lead induced toxicity. Conclusions: Antioxidant supplementation can provide a magic remedy against lead induced oxidative damages. Thus, curry leaves and melatonin can be used to design a potent drug formulation to provide protection against lead induced oxidative damages. It is void of side effects and has no reported cyto-toxicity. KEY WORDS: Antioxidants, curry leaf extract, free radicals, lead, melatonin, oxidative stress, toxicity INTRODUCTION Lead is a toxic heavy metal, most widely distributed in the earth’s crust. Lead induced toxicity has been an important and well studied issue of public health concern around the globe for years. The his- tory of lead poisoning has been well monitored from the time it was spotted. Man came to know about lead as early as 4,000 BC. The Hebrews used lead and the Phoenicians mined lead ore in Spain around 2,000 BC. The earliest documentations of lead toxicity have been found in Egyptian papyrus scrolls 1 . Lead compounds were often used for homicidal purposes. Hippocrates, in 370 BC, was the first person to report lead colic 2 . An average of 60,000 tonnes of lead was pro- duced by the Romans per year for 400 years. They used various lead compounds for glazing pottery, and metallic lead for cooking utensils and piping. Lead utensils were used for boiling and condensing grape juice and for preserving and sweetening of wine 3 . Lot of efforts have been made from the parents of children affected with lead toxicity, researchers, scientists, policy makers and physi- cians to prevent use of lead. Finally, the battle against the silent killer has been won which is evident from the decreased reports of lead toxicity and decreased rate of reported death due to lead posoning around the world 4 . In the 1960s, thousands of children with lead encephalopathy were hospitalized each year in the United States and about one in four died 5 . On the other hand, only one child died from lead poisoning in the past decade 6 . Over the last three decades, blood lead loads (BLL) of children and adults have decreased as a result of bans on lead in gasoline, paint, and solder used in canned foods 7 . But still it is a doubt that whether this drop in the rate of death due to lead poisoning should be considered as a victory against lead poison- ing 7 . Though there has been some success in the worldwide ban of leaded gasoline, widespread lead exposure from industrial emissions and lead-contaminated paint and consumer products remains com- mon in children around the world 8 . The Chemistry Lead has been known from very early times. In India, it came into use during the Vedic period. Lead is chemically a heavy metal. Atomic