aloe vera ameliorates ovarian toxicity induced by bisphenol a in wistar rats

Background & objective: bisphenol a (bpa) is a hazardous environmental pollutant, which is known to cause ovarian toxicity. the present study aimed to assess the protective effects of aloe vera herbal extract against ovarian toxicity caused by bpa in wistar rats. materials & methods: the sample population of this experimental study consisted of 40 adult female wistar rats with a mean weight of 200±20 grams. the test animals were investigated in five groups after synchronizing, including one control group and one vehicle group (olive oil 5 ml/kg b.wt./day). rats in the experimental groups were administered with various oral doses of bpa and aloe vera extract daily for eight consecutive weeks (400 mg aloe vera gel/kg b.wt./day, 10 mg bpa/kg b.wt./day dissolved in 5 ml/kg of olive oil, and bpa + aloe vera). blood samples (2 ml) were obtained from anesthetized rats after the intervention in order to measure the levels of oxidative stress markers and sex hormones. moreover, the researchers collected both ovaries for histological examinations. results: bpa decreased estradiol levels significantly (p<0.05). in addition, while thiol protein (g-sh) and total antioxidant capacity (tac) decreased, malondialdehyde (mda) showed an increase. fewer corpus luteum and antral follicles, more atretic follicles and several cysts were observed in histopathological results of bpa group. but total antioxidant capacity and ovarian tissue healing structure were accelerated by co-administration of aloe vera with bpa. conclusion: according to the results, the use of herbal extract of aloe vera could significantly inhibit the debilitating effects of bpa on the reproduction of female rats. moreover, aloe vera gel exerted protective effects against folliculogenesis, stimulating the production of hormones to prevent the toxicity caused by bpa.