Quercetin Exhibits Nephroprotective Properties Against Tartrazine‐Induced Nephrotic Injury: Effects on Oxidative Stress, Kidney Function, Inflammation, Renal Tissue Morphology, and Apoptotic Pathway

We investigated first time in the literature the effects of tartrazine, a common industrial dye, and quercetin, a possible protective, on the kidneys. The rats were randomly assigned to the control, tartrazine, quercetin, and tartrazine + quercetin groups, with each group consisting of eight Wistar albino rats. The trials lasted for 1 month, after which kidney tissues and blood samples were collected. In the tartrazine group, increases were observed in malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), glomerular diameter and damage, histopathological damage score, glomerular and tubular caspase-3 immunoreactivity H-score, as well as serum urea, uric acid, and creatinine levels in the kidney tissue. Additionally, kidney tissue histopathology and apoptotic deteriorated in the same group. The deteriorated biochemical and histopathological parameters improved with quercetin administration. Tartrazine led to nephrotoxicity in rats, as indicated by kidney tissue oxidant capacity, inflammation, apoptosis, increased kidney function tests, and deterioration in histopathology. Quercetin exhibited strong antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and anti-inflammation activity and can be used as a protective agent against tartrazine-induced nephrotoxicity.