"Materials and Methods

Experimental animals

50 male rats (Albino wistar) weighing (200±10 g) were obtained from Pasteur institute, Algiers (Algeria). The rats were kept under standard laboratory conditions of light/dark cycle (12 h/12 h), temperature (21±3 ◦C) and relative humidity (50±100%), with food and water ad libitum, and they received food prepared according to Upreti et al. [23] regime.

Preparation of chromium solution (induction of oxidative stress)

Potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) powder (Biochem Chemopharma Company, USA) is dissolved in mineral water, and induced by oral voice; the volume of each dose was adjusted to deliver 15 or 25 mg/kg of body weight.

Preparation of ginger powder

Fresh ginger rhizomes were purchased from the local market, washed, peeled coarsely minced, air dried, and pulverized with a blender to fine powder and preserved in individual airtight containers room temperature until the formulation of normal and/or experimental diet.

Animals treatment

The rats were divided into five groups (10 rats in each group) as follow: Group I (T) served as control received mineral water orally; Group II (G) received an experimental diet with 2% of ginger; Group III (Cr) received an oral dose of potassium dichromate (15 mg/kg) and normal diet; Group IV (CrG) received an oral dose of potassium dichromate (15 mg/kg) and an experimental diet containing 2% ginger; Group V (Cr+G) received an oral dose of potassium dichromate (25 mg/kg) and an experimental diet with 2% of ginger.

Experimental methods

After 30 days of treatment, rats were sacrificed by decapitation and blood samples were collected into two tubes: heparinized and dry; the first one is used for measuring full blood count (FBC) and the second is centrifuged at 5000 rpm to obtain serum which served for various biochemical investigations. At the time of decapitation both the concentrations of blood glucose and FBC were measured using a portable glucometer (Accu-check Active) and ERMA INC full automatic blood cell counter model (PCE- 210N) respectively. Other biochemical parameters: urea, creatinine, uric acid, triglycerides, cholesterol, total lipids, total and direct bilirubin, alanine aminotranferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined using kits supplied by Spinreact, Spain. The tissue’s reduced glutathione (GSH) was determined by spectrophotometry using the method of Cory and Weckbeker [24]. Protein concentration was measured by the Bradford method

[25].

Statistic analyze

The data are expressed as the means ± SD. The significance of the differences in mean values among the control and treated groups was evaluated following Students‘t’-test using Minitab software version (13.31)."

Male Albino Wistar Rat