The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of dietary nutrients against cadmium-induced hepatic and renal toxicities in male albino rats. The animals were randomly divided into eleven groups where the control group (Group I) received physiological saline (p.o.) and Group II was administered with cadmium chloride (2 mg/kg, s.c.) only. Groups III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX received 10 mg/kg dietary nutrients, i.e. thiamine, methionine, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), melatonin, zinc (Zn), vitamin E and cystine, respectively. Group X received a dose of 0.1 mg/kg of selenium (Se) and Group XI was administered with a
combination of NAC, Zn, vitamin B1 and melatonin. All treatments were administered orally for 21 days with a concomitant subcutaneous (s.c.) cadmium treatment. Cadmium-intoxicated rats exhibited hepatic and renal toxicities as indicated by elevation of lipid peroxidation and marked decline in superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase activities and total protein. However, a combined treatment with dietary nutrients, i.e. methionine, zinc, vitamin B1 and N-acetylcysteine ameliorated cadmiuminduced lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress as they provoked the antioxidant defense system more significantly, when compared to each of them alone and hence is suggested as protective against cadmium-induced hepatic and renal toxicities.