Investigation of protective effect of chard extract on oxidative damage caused by valproic acid in kidney tissue

Valproic acid (VPA) is a broad-spectrum antiepileptic agent widely used to treat epilepsy, as well as anxiety, bipolar disorders, and migraine. Long-term VPA administration has been reported to increase free-radical formation in the body and to cause oxidative stress related damage in renal tissue. Chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla) has recently drawn growing attention from researchers because of its rich antioxidant content. In this study, 5–6 month old female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to four groups: control, control + chard extract (100 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), VPA (0.5 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), and VPA + chard extract (same doses and duration). The aqueous chard extract was administered by oral gavage once daily for 7 days, 1 h before VPA and VPA was delivered intraperitoneally (i.p.). On day 8., kidney tissue and serum samples were collected and various biochemical parameters were determined. The findings demonstrated that antioxidant rich chard exerted protective effects against VPA-induced oxidative damage in renal tissue.