Monosodium Glutamate’s Dose-Dependent Effects on Prostate Cancer Markers and Sperm Quality

Monosodium glutamate (msg) is a widely used flavor enhancer with controversial health effects. while high doses have been associated with oxidative stress and reproductive toxicity, low doses may exert protective effects. the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of monosodium glutamate (msg) on serum markers of prostate cancer and semen quality in male wistar rats. thirty-six male wistar rats were randomly grouped into six groups (n = 6 per group) and orally administered varying doses of msg (0, 15, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. serum total prostate specific antigen (tpsa), free psa (fpsa), total acid phosphatase (tap), prostatic acid phosphatase (pap), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (ggt) were measured using elisa. sperm count, motility, viability, and morphology were assessed from epididymal samples. our results showed that msg exhibited a biphasic (hormetic) response. 15 mg/kg msg reduced tap by -64% (p < 0.001), fpsa by -60% (p < 0.001) and tpsa by -60% (p < 0.001), ggt by -19.4% (p<0.05) while 50–100 mg/kg msg improved semen quality, boosting sperm count by +110% and +170% (p < 0.01, p < 0.001), sperm motility by +108% and +77% (p < 0.001, p < 0.01), and viability by +7% and +16% (ns, p < 0.05), respectively. in contrast, 1000 mg/kg msg caused severe reproductive toxicity, with –65% sperm count, –100% motility, –23% morphology, and –37% viability (all p < 0.05). these results confirm msg’s hormetic behavior: low doses improved prostate health and fertility, while high doses induced prostate pathology and impaired spermatogenesis. low-dose msg (15–100 mg/kg) demonstrated protective effects on prostate health and male fertility, while higher doses (≥ 500 mg/kg) showed potential for prostate pathology induction and reproductive toxicity. these findings suggest msg’s dual potential as both a therapeutic candidate for prostate cancer and a model compound for inducing prostate disease in experimental settings.