Research
Antioxidant properties of Pelargonium graveolens L’Her essential oil on the reproductive damage induced by deltamethrin in mice as compared to alpha-tocopherol
- † Equal contributors
1 Unit Research of Toxicology-Microbiology Environmental and Health UR11ES70, Sciences Faculty of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
2 Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products, Sciences Faculty of Sfax, University of Sfax, B.P. 1171, Sfax, Tunisia
3 National Laboratory of Public Health, Ouagadougou Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso, Cameroon
4 Anatomopathology Laboratory, University of Sfax, CHU Habib Bourguiba, Sfax, 3029, Tunisia
Lipids in Health and Disease 2013, 12:30 doi:10.1186/1476-511X-12-30
Published: 7 March 2013Abstract
Background
Exposure to the pyrethroid pesticide deltamethrin has been demonstrated to exert a wide range of effects on non-targeted organisms. The beneficial effects of geranuim essential oil (EO) as an antioxidant has been assessed in deltamethrin (DL) orally administered mice by studying whether the reprotoxicity caused by deltamethrin can be effectively combated with the geranium oil and the effects were compared to vitamin E, as the standard reference drug.
Result
Sixty male albino mice were divided into six equal groups: a control group, a group of mice was given deltamethrin (5 mg/kg b.w.), two groups were administered deltamethrin after having given geranium essential oil (67 mg/kg b.w.) or vitamin E (Vit E) (100 mg/kg b.w.), and two groups received only EO of geranium or Vit E. When compared to control, a dose of deltamethrin 5 mg/kg/day causes a decrease in the epididymal sperm count motility and viability and an increase in the number of abnormal morphology in spermatozoa. DL-exposed mice showed a significant increase of lipid peroxidation (LPP) in the testis compared to control animals.
Conclusion
Essential oil of geranium prevented testicular oxidative damage explored by reduced LPP and improved total sperm motility, viability and morphology in mice spermatozoa. Our study showed a positive influence of geranium essential oil in the animal male reproductive system similar than that of Vit E.
