Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role of polysaccharides from the red alga <i>Osmundea pinnatifida</i> in countering bromuconazole-induced toxicity

Polysaccharides derived from marine algae are natural polymers with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotectiveproperties, which make them promising for therapeutic use. In contrast, bromuconazole, a common triazole fungicide used in agriculture, has been associated with adverse effects such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruptions in cellular death pathways, raising safety concerns. This study investigates the potential of polysaccharides extracted from the red alga <i>Osmundea pinnatifida</i> (PSOP) to mitigate bromuconazole-induced toxicity. Through a subchronic 30-day exposure, 24 Wistar rats (6 per group) were divided into four groups: a control group, a bromuconazolegroup (32.8 mg/kg/day), a PSOP-only group (200 mg/kg/day), and a co-treatment group receiving both compounds. Bromuconazole exposure led to increased oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), along with decreased antioxidant defenses including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), non-protein thiols (NP-SH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in both liver and kidney tissues. These changes were accompanied by altered plasma biochemical parameters, indicating systemic toxicity. PSOP co-treatment alleviated oxidative stress by normalizing oxidation markers and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses. Histopathological analyses confirmed PSOP's role in reducing tissue damage in the liver and kidneys. The HET-CAM assay also demonstrated PSOP's anti-irritant properties and ability to protect the vascular membrane during bromuconazole exposure. These results identify PSOP as an affordable, antioxidant-rich agent with significant biomedical potential, capable of protecting against oxidative damage induced by bromoconazole or xenobiotic.