Numéro de la revue: Volume 30 , Numéro 1
Rym Chaker1, Ouarda Mansouri2, Farida Loudjani1, Cherif Abdennour1
1 Laboratory of Animal Ecophysiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University Badji Mokhtar-Annaba, Annaba 23000, Algeria
2 Laboratory of Animal Ecophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Badji Mokhtar-Annaba, Annaba 23000, Algeria
ABSTRACT
Cadmium is a widely used heavy metal and is considered a powerful endocrine disruptor, with adverse effects on fertility and the body’s physiological activities. The aim of the study is to investigate the benefits of the aqueous extract of fresh olive leaves (Olea europaea L.) in reducing cadmium toxicity. In this context, 80 male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups and treated daily for one month by gavage. The negative control received a standard diet; three positive control groups (LEO1, LEO2, and LEO3) respectively received different extracts (0.25, 0.5, and 1 g/kg rat), one group received fresh cadmium chloride solution (40 mg/kg rat), and the last three groups received a combination of LE + CdCl₂ with the same dosages. The results demonstrated cadmium led to a decrease in fertility parameters (concentration, mobility, LH, and testosterone), with a significant decrease in GSH and an increase in MDA levels. Supplementation of olive leaf extract significantly improved all parameters of the three combined treatment groups with different degrees. In conclusion, olive leaf extract was able to mitigate cadmium-intoxicated rats and preserved reproductive parameters.
Keywords: Cadmium, Fertility, GSH, MDA, Rat.