Investigation of the effects of resveratrol and quercetin on pesticide-induced DNA and protein oxidation

Pesticides, cause negative effects on human life through the mouth, skin and respiratory tract. Synthetic pesticides were first introduced in 1940 and have contributed to increased food production. However, concerns about the negative effects of these pesticides on the environment and human health began to be voiced in the 1960s. Since those years, discussions about the harms and benefits of pesticides have continued until today, and research has been carried out by many scientists. Pesticides can damage DNA by binding to the grooves in the DNA double helix structure through various non-covalent interactions such as hydrophobic interactions, specific hydrogen bonds or van der Waals interactions.In this study, the effects of some commercially available pesticides on DNA and protein oxidation were investigated in vitro. In addition, the combined effect of pesticides with copper sulphate, which is widely used as a micronutrient and fungicide, was also investigated. The capacity of strong antioxidant substances such as quercetin and resveratrol to prevent pesticide-induced oxidation was investigated. As a result, it was determined that resveratrol and quercetin partially prevented pesticide-induced DNA and protein oxidation.