Attenuating Effect of Polyalthia Longifolia in Cadmium Sulfate-Induced Testicular Toxicity

Abstract

Polyalthia longifolia extract has numerous beneficial effects on human health. They have been reported to have antiviral, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and antioxidant activities. Cadmium is used in the production of nickel-cadmium batteries, pigments, ceramics, plastic stabilizers, and fertilizers. Cigarette smoke is one of the most important sources of cadmium exposure in the general non-occupationally exposed population. In nonsmokers, the main source of cadmium is food, particularly cereals such as rice and wheat, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, and offal products such as liver and kidney. Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Group A was orally treated with distilled water for twenty-eight days, Group B was intraperitoneally treated with cadmium sulfate for three days and sacrificed twenty-four hours later, Group C received oral administration of Polyalthia longifolia for twenty-eight days and Group D received cadmium sulfate intraperitoneally for three days and post-treated orally with Polyalthia longifolia for twenty-five days. On the 29th day the animals were sacrificed through cervical dislocation, the right testis was excised and processed histologically, while the left testis was processed for semen analysis. The histological observation showed that Polyalthia longifolia administration improved the histoarchitectural distortion of the testis in the cadmium sulphate treated group. Polyalthia longifolia administration restored the alteration on the sperm parameters of the damaged testes. The result suggested that Polyalthia longifolia restored testicular toxicity induced by cadmium sulfate and may be used as sub fertility drug.