BACKGROUND: Materials can cause liver and kidney damage which carbon tetrachloride is one of these substances. Medicinal plants and their essential oils and extracts have been used to a large extent as drugs to better control and management of kidney diseases.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Avicennia marina leaves in the treatment of renal toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride.METHODS: Forty-two male rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 7): control (taking normal saline, 0.5 ml/day, intraperitoneally; i.p.), sham (taking olive oil, 0.5 ml/day, i.p., single dose), injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) 1:1 with olive oil, 0.5 ml single dose, i.p.), treated groups 1, 2 and 3: by carbon tetrachloride 1:1 with olive oil, 0.5 ml single dose and 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg or 800 mg/kg Avicennia marina extract (AME)/ day for 96 hours, i.p.). By direct blood sampling from the heart, the plasma concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and liver enzymes including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured. Kidney sections were prepared from all groups and the histological examinations were performed. The results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).RESULTS: The results indicated the significant (P < 0.05) increase of serum level of lactate dehydrogenase and liver enzymes of AST, ALT and ALP in the group receiving CCl4 compared with the control group, whereas the treatment with hydro-alcoholic extract of mangrove leaves caused a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in serum levels of these enzymes in rats treated with carbon tetrachloride compared to the control group. Histological investigation of renal tissue sections showed that the treatment with mangrove leaves extract reduced the necrosis, inflammation and also improved the renal tubules.CONCLUSIONS: Carbon tetrachloride has kidney, liver and cardiac toxicities and mangrove extract is able to inhibit the toxicities of carbon tetrachloride.