| Abstract | Adult male albino rats feeding on stored wheat grains treated with malathion and spinosad were used as experimental animals to evaluate the hematological, cytogenetical and biochemical effects of both insecticides. Wheat-bound malathion and spinosad were fed to rats at 8 and 16 ppm in the diet for 90 consecutive days. The tested concentrations of both insecticides induced observable significant decrease in the hematological indices (i.e. RBC’s, HCT and PLT). However, the other indices such as HGB, MCV and MCH were significantly decreased in malathion and spinosad-treated rats with the higher concentration only as compared to the untreated control group. On the other hand, WBCs recorded significant increases in the higher concentration of both insecticides. Results of the cytogenetical effects indicated that the tested concentrations of both insecticides showed significant increase in the average number of chromosomal aberrations in rat's bone marrow cells. The maximum effect was recorded in rats fed on grains treated with both malathion concentrations and the higher concentration of spinosad. The effect of both insecticides on the genetic material (DNA content) showed significant increase, although non significant increase was observed at the low concentration of spinosad. Amount of total proteins in rat liver were significantly decreased comparing with control as a result of treatment with both insecticides. Gel scanning with standard molecular weights revealed variations in the number and intensity of protein bands among the control and the tested concentrations. All concentrations revealed an increase of protein bands than those in the control group, except the higher malathion concentration which showed decrease in bands number. PAGE analysis of the esterases isozymes exhibited the same effects for malathion and spinosad as well as control group in the number of bands, although the intensity of these bands were differed. The obtained results indicate that malathion and spinosad residues in stored wheat grains have potential genotoxic effect on male albino rats under the conditions tested, moreover, malathion was able to exhibit more pronounced effects than spinosad. |