Assessment of the protective effects of virgin coconut oil and propolis against methotrexate-induced toxicity in sublingual salivary glands of albino rats

Introduction: Methotrexate is an antimetabolite drug that is used as anti-cancerousdrug which can cause cell damage by weakening the body’s antioxidant defenses.Antioxidants like propolis and virgin coconut oil may help protect against this damageby reducing oxidative stress caused by MTX administration. Aim: This study aimedto evaluate the protective effect of propolis and virgin coconut oil (VCO) againsttoxicity induced by methotrexate (MTX) on sublingual salivary glands. Materials andMethods: Fifty rats were randomly and equally divided into five groups (n=10), Group1 (Control): Rats received saline by oral gavage for 17 days. Group 2 (MTX): Rats wereinjected intraperitoneally (Ip) with MTX (20 mg/kg) on day 14 only. Group 3 (Propolisand MTX): Rats were administered propolis by oral gavage at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 17 days and injected (Ip) with MTX (20 mg/kg) on day 14. Group 4 (VCO andMTX): Rats were administered VCO by oral gavage at a dose of 5 ml/kg body weightfor 17 days, with MTX (20 mg/kg) injected (Ip) on day 14. Group 5 (VCO, Propolis,and MTX): Rats received propolis (100 mg/kg/day) and VCO (5 ml/kg) for 17 days,with MTX (20 mg/kg) injected (Ip) on day 14. Results: This study revealed that bothpropolis and VCO effectively reduce MTX-induced cytotoxicity on sublingual glands.Propolis preserved gland structure and reduced caspase-3 immunoexpression, whileVCO maintained gland architecture and blood vessel integrity leading to a decrease incaspase-3 levels. Combined, they provided protective effects similar to those observedin the control group. Conclusion: These findings suggest propolis and VCO could serveas complementary therapies durin