improvement of lead acetate-induced testicular injury and sperm quality deterioration by solanum anomalum thonn. ex. schumach fruit extracts in albino rats

Objective: this study has investigated the protective role of a natural alternative, solanum anomalum fruit extract in lead induced testicular toxicity in male albino rats. materials and methods: twenty-four mature male albino rats were used, divided into four groups of six rats per group. group 1 (control rats) were given distilled water (10ml/kg), group 2 received lead acetate solution 60mg/kg, group 3 received lead acetate (60mg/kg) followed by solanum anomalum (452mg/kg) and group 4 rats were given lead acetate (60mg/kg) followed by solanum anomalum (678mg/kg) by oral gavage daily for 28 days. results: lead treated group showed significant increase in malondialdehyde mda (1.58 ± 0.09 to 1.90 ± 0.17 μmol/l of plasma) and decreases in superoxide dismutase sod, glutathione peroxidase (482.85 ± 53.43 to 247.18 ± 70.40 u/l of blood), total glutathione (1.11 ± 0.03 to 0.56 ± 0.31 ng/μl) (144.80 ± 7.00 and 122.39 ± 4.63 u/ml of blood), epididymal sperm reserve, testicular sperm count, % sperm motility and % sperm viability. conclusion: co-administration of solanum anomalum significantly reversed the effect of lead with restoration of histoarchitecture of the testes. solanum anomalum may be a protective modulator of lead -induced testicular injury.