Abstract:
Background & aim: Pomegranate fruit is inescapably linked with fertility, birth and eternal life
because of its many seeds. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pomegranate
juice (PJ) consumption on sperm quality, spermatogenic cell density, antioxidant activity and
testosterone level of male healthy rats.
Methods: Twenty-eight healthy adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups; each
group containing seven rats. One milliliter distilled water, 0.25 mL PJ plus 0.75 mL distilled
water, 0.50 mL PJ plus 0.50 mL distilled water and 1 mL PJ were given daily for seven weeks
by gavage to rats in the first, second, third and fourth groups, respectively. Body and reproductive
organ weights, spermatogenic cell density, sperm characteristics, levels of antioxidant
vitamins, testosterone, and lipid peroxidation and, antioxidant enzyme activities were investigated.
All analyses were done only once at the end of the seven week study period. Data
were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the degree of significance was set at
P < 0.05.
Results: A significant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) level and marked increases in glutathione
(GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities, and vitamin C
level were observed in rats treated with different doses of PJ. PJ consumption provided an
increase in epididymal sperm concentration, sperm motility, spermatogenic cell density and
diameter of seminiferous tubules and germinal cell layer thickness, and it decreased abnormal
sperm rate when compared to the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that PJ consumption improves sperm quality and antioxidant
activity of rats.
