Post-publication, an investigation conducted on behalf of the journal by Elsevier's Research Integrity & Publishing Ethics team identified a concern around the authenticity of the following figures/image panels:

-Figure 5 (Western Blot image of Phospho-ISRS1 protein band) from the current article and Figure 4 (Western Blot image of Bcl-2 protein bands) from the article published in PLoS ONE by some of the same authors of the current article and which was available online prior to the current article having been submitted to Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy appear to depict the same source image, but are described as representing different experimental samples.

Dua TK, Dewanjee S, Khanra R, Joardar S, Barma S, Das S, et al. (2016) Cytoprotective and Antioxidant Effects of an Edible Herb, Enhydra fluctuans Lour. (Asteraceae), against Experimentally Induced Lead Acetate Intoxication. PLoS ONE 11(2): e0148757. journal.pone.0148757

-Figure 5 (Western Blot image of Aκt protein bands) and Figure 9 (Western Blot image of IκBα protein bands) appear to depict the same source image, but are described as representing different experimental samples.

-Figure 5 (Western Blot image of GAPDH loading control - column 2 row 2) and Figure 9 (Western Blot image of GAPDH loading control - column 2 row 4) appear to depict the same source image, but are described as representing different experimental samples.

The authors were requested to provide comment on these concerns, as well as the original unprocessed image files to aid investigation. It was felt that the explanation AND data provided were unsatisfactory in resolving these concerns.

The Editor has lost confidence in the results and conclusions of the article and has determined it should be retracted.

The authors disagree with retraction and dispute the grounds for it.