Protective effects of Camellia sinensis on Syzygium aromaticum- or chlorpyrifos-induced reproductive toxicity in male Wistar rats

Background: The potential toxicity of clove, Syzygium aromaticum, notwithstanding its beneficial health effect to human health remains a critical issue. Purpose: This study was designed to assess the effects of oil extracts of clove (S. aromaticum) on reproductive parameters in Wistar rats. The ameliorative effect due to co-administration with green tea, Camellia sinensis, was also determined. Methods: Adult rats were exposed via oral gavage to mineral oil (negative control), 5% green tea (GT), 12.5 mg/kg/day chlorpyrifos (CHL, positive control), 360 mg/kg/day clove oil (CO), green tea + chlorpyrifos (GT+CHL), or green tea + clove oil (GT+CO) for 3 weeks, after which the animals were sacrificed and the following sperm parameters: total sperm count, sperm motile count, sperm progressive assessment, and sperm morphology were determined. The serum levels of reproductive hormones, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), were determined. The histological sections of the testes were also performed. Results: The results revealed that S. aromaticum treatment resulted in significant damage to the sperm morphology especially at the neck and tail regions with only a marginal change to the total sperm count, sperm motile count, and sperm progressive assessment. The levels of testosterone, FSH, and LH decreased significantly in rats treated with S. aromaticum. Histopathological analyses revealed significant disruption of normal testes structure in rats that were treated with either clove oil or chlorpyrifos. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study show that the co-administration with C. sinensis has the potential to ameliorate the clove-induced reproductive toxicity in rats.