Figure 2.

Serum levels of MDA (a) and thiol (b) in different studied groups

The results are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 7 in each group). ** P<0.01 and *** P<0.001 compared to the control group. + P<0.05, ++ P<0.01 and +++ P<0.001 compared to the PQ-H group. # P<0.05, ## p<0.01 and ### P<0.001 compared to dexamethasone treated group. € P<0.05, €€ P<0.01 and €€€ p<0.001 compared to the combination treated groups. $ P<0.05 and $$ P<0.01 compared to low doses of the extract, safranal and pioglitazone. Comparisons between different groups were made using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test. Ctrl, control group, PQ-L and PQ-H, groups exposed to 27 and 54 mg/m³ paraquat aerosols, CS-L, CS-H, Saf-L, Saf-H, Pio-L, Pio-H, Pio + CS, Pio + Saf and Dexa are groups exposed to PQ-H and treated with 20 and 80 mg/kg/day extract, 0.8 and 3.2 mg/kg/day safranal, 5 and 10 mg/kg/day pioglitazone, Pio,5 + CS, 20 mg/kg/day, Pio, 5 + Saf, 0.8 mg/kg/day and 0.03 mg/kg/day dexamethasone, respectively.

MDA: malondialdehyde; PQ: paraquat