Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) essential oil ameliorates DNA and histopathological damage induced by cyclophosphamide in mice

The possible protective role of fennel fruits essential oil (FEO) against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced DNA damage and histopathological injury in liver and testis was investigated.FEO extraction was subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine its active constituents. For chromosomal aberration and histopathological studies, FEO was administrated orally at concentrations of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6mL/kg daily for 5 days and at the 5th day mice were i.p. injected with CP at 20 mg/kg. For sperm abnormalities mice were administrated FEO and CP for 5 consecutive days and samples were taken at 35th day of the first treatment. The results revealed non-significant effects in chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow and sperm shape abnormalities after repeated oral treatments with FEO alone at the highest tested dose (0.6mL/kg). The same dose showed normal hepatic architecture, as well as, it showed normal seminiferous tubules with different stages of spermatogenic cells and normal interstitial tubules in the testis. Also, FEO recorded minimum immunoreactions of caspase-3 expression in the cells of liver and testis. In addition, statistically-significant percentage of inhibition in chromosomal aberrations was recorded in bone marrow cells and morphological sperm abnormalities in CP groups pre-treated with different concentrations of FEO compared with CP groups. The histological alterations induced by CP in liver and testis tissues were restored to a good degree in those animals pre-treated with the two higher doses of FEO (0.4 and 0.6mL/kg).The hepatic and testis tissues also showed marked improvement in caspase-3 expression in the CP-treated groups with FEO. The results demonstrated the biosafety of the essential oil of fennel. It also has the ability to improve chromosome, sperm and histopathological alterations induced by CP.