EFFICIENCY OF LIGNIN AS A PROTECTOR AGAINST POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS

The effect of lignin on some biochemical and morphological parameters was studied in rats after short-term treatment with the industrial mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) sovol at a daily dose of 5 mg/kg, 5 times a week for a fortnight. Dietary supplementation of 5% lignin as the drug polyphenane did not protect the induction of the rat hepatic P-450 cytochrome monooxygenase system, which is typical of the action of PCB, but slightly modified the inducing effect of sovol. In the polyphepane-fed animals, there was a decrease in impairments of the liver structure and its more rapid normalization than in control rats. The lower hepatotoxic effect of the PCB mixture when lignin was added to the ration was likely to be associated with the action of lignin as a nonspecific polyvalent enterosorbent. It is concluded that polyphepane is a promising protective agent on exposure to PCB.