THE EFFECT OF QUERCETIN ON RAT THYMOCYTE MITOCHONDRIA TREATED WITH MANCOZEB

Quercetin is one of the most commonly used flavonoids, which people continuously consume through food. This flavonoid has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of Mancozeb (0.2, 2 I 5 µg/ml), Mancozeb and quercetin, only qercetin (10mM) on viability, apoptosis, ROS production and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in rat thymocytes, in in vitro conditions. The application of Mancozeb resulted in dose-dependent reduction of cell viability, apoptosis induction, which was followed by increased ROS production and MMP reduction. Quercetin significantly reduced the cytotoxicity in cell cultures with 0.2 and 2µg/ml of Mancozeb, together with the reduction of ROS and MMP increase. Quercetin in cell cultures treated with 5µg/ml of Mancozeb failed to reduce toxicity but increased the total number of apoptotic cells. The obtained results show that ROS production, together with mitochondrial dysfunction, may represent a key factor in toxicity induced by Mancozeb. The application of quercetin reduces cell toxicity which is induced by lower Mancozeb concentrations, with a possibility to induce apoptosis and prevent necrosis, with final reduction of the development of secondary immunological consequences