Carob extract restores testicular function and sperm quality in cadmium-exposed mice: An experimental study.

Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous heavy metal, and its exposure can lead to a range of health issues, including significant adverse effects on reproductive health in animals and humans. Recently, there has been increasing recognition of the antioxidant benefits of Ceratonia siliqua extract (CSE).

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic potential of CSE in mitigating testicular injury and spermatogenesis impairment induced by Cd.

Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 40 adult male BALB/c mice (8-12 wk, 30 $\pm$ 5 gr) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 10/each): control, Cd (0.35 mg/kg), CSE (100 mg/kg), and CSE+Cd (100 mg/kg + 0.35 mg/kg). Adult male mice were intraperitoneally injected for one cycle of spermatogenesis (35 days). Sperm parameters, sperm DNA integrity, testicular histopathology status, testosterone hormone level, and testicular levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, and total antioxidant capacity were assessed.

Results: CSE restored spermatogenesis by improving sperm count, motility, viability, morphology, and chromatin integrity (p $<$ 0.01). Testosterone levels and the histopathology of the testes also showed significant improvement in the CSE-administrated groups (p $<$ 0.001). More notably, Cd administration significantly induced oxidative stress in testicular tissue (p $<$ 0.001). Also, CSE restored antioxidant status by enhancing total antioxidant capacity levels and ameliorating nitric oxide and malondialdehyde levels (p $<$ 0.001).

Conclusion: Administering CSE could potentially enhance testis function and sperm parameters against chronic Cd exposure-induced reproductive toxicity, likely due to improving testosterone secretion and its antioxidant properties.