Physiological and molecular hazards of cooking oil fumes: The protective role of sage and rosemary

Cooking oil fumes (COF) are the main cause of indoor air pollution in our houses. The study aimed to investigate the effects of COF on the lung of rats. Animals were subdivided into four groups; control group; oil fumes group, rats were exposed to the COF for 15 min/day for one month; oil fumes+rosemary extract group, rats were exposed to the COF and orally administered with 300 mg/kg b.wt. of rosemary extract. The oil fumes+sage extract group, rats were exposed to the COF and orally administered with 300 mg/kg b.wt. of sage extract. Serum tumor markers such as arginase and alpha-L-fucosidase were significantly increased in the oil fumes group. The activity of glutathione related enzymes and Cu/Zn-dependent superoxide dismutase were decreased in the lung of oil fumes group. Moreover, the gene expression of those enzymatic antioxidant genes was considered by using specific primers and RT-PCR. Administration of watery extracts of sage and rosemary ameliorates the biochemical and molecular changes induced by COF in the lung tissues.