Abstract
Pomegranate fruit is used widely in the natural folk medicine in many cultures as a result of its anti-oxidant activity. The present study was aimed to evaluate the protective effects of pomegranate juice on carbendazim-induced oxidative stress and testes damage in rats. Rats were randomly divided into two main groups, the first group, negative control group (7 rats). The second group ,carbendazim groups (28) were treated with carbendazim (150 mg/kg body weight) daily for 60 consecutive days. Carbendazim (CBZ) groups were divided into four equal subgroups as follow: subgroup1, positive control group, subgroups 2,3 and 4 received a daily oral dose 5, 10 and 15 μL/g of body weight for 60 days of pomegranate juice. Prolonged administration of carbendazim produced increased significant malonaldehyde and decrease in the activities of glutathione transferase and catalase. Also carbendazim resulted in significant decrease in testosterone level, alteration in sperm count, motility, live sperm percent and also produced sperm abnormalities. Histopathological examination revealed degeneration and necrosis of spermatogoneal cells in rat testes treated with carbendazim only. The co-administration of pomegranate juice (10 μL/g of B.W) with carbendazim alleviated the previous changes, whereas feeding rats with 15 μL/g of B.W of pomegranate juice reversed such changes to near the normal levels. On the other side carbendazim +5 μL/g B.W of pomegranate juice group have less impact on reducing these changes. From the findings of present study it can be concluded that pomegranate juice supplementation reduced carbendazim-induced testicular toxicity and improved testicular function. Thus , it could have a role in improving fertility of rats.
Keywords: Pomegranate, carbendazim, oxidative stress, sperm abnormalities.