tannic acid effect in testicular injury: molecular protection against msg toxicity

Monosodium glutamate (msg) is a controversial food additive widely used as a flavor enhancer in the food processing industry, restaurants and institutional services. although msg consumption is considered safe by food safety organizations, many preclinical and clinical studies, especially long-term exposure, are still questioned. long-term msg consumption has been shown to have negative effects on the male reproductive system. in this study, the toxic effects of msg, a widely used food additive, on rat testicular tissue were evaluated and the potential protective role of tannic acid (ta), a natural polyphenolic compound, against this toxicity was investigated. for this purpose, 24 rats were divided into 4 groups with 6 rats in each group. the first group was the control group, the second group was msg group (2 g/kg), the third group was ta group (50 mg/kg) and the fourth group was msg+ta group (2 g/kg+50 mg/kg). after 21 days of treatment, testicular tissues were removed from the animals. antioxidant oxidative stress markers (gsh, mda) and enzyme activities (sod, cat, gpx) were analyzed at gene and biochemical levels. there was a decrease in gsh level and a significant increase in mda level in the msg group. while a decrease in sod and cat enzyme activities was observed, no significant change was found in gpx activity. msg administration also suppressed the expression of antioxidant system-related genes at the gene level. the data obtained show that msg causes impairment in antioxidant system functions in testicular tissue. it is concluded that ta treatment suppresses these harmful effects, supports cellular defense and protects testicular functions.