Effect of ethanol extracts of Momordica charantia seeds on testicular antioxidant enzyme activity and protein patterns in male Wistar rats

Abstract

Momordica charantia has antidiabetic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antiviral and abortifacient properties. Recently, ethanol extracts of Momordica charantia seeds have been reported to be toxic to male Wistar rat testicles. The current study monitored the effect of ethanol extracts of M. charantia seeds on testicular antioxidant enzyme activity and protein patterns in male Wistar rats. A sample of 27 fertile-proven male Wistar rats were divided equally into three treatment groups. The control treatment (I) was a daily administration of 1 mL of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The experimental treatments (II and III) were daily administrations of seed extracts dissolved in 1 mL of DMSO at concentrations of 400 mg dry matter per kg body weight and 800 mg dry matter per kg body weight, respectively. The extracts were orally administered to the rats using an 18 gauge gavage for 42 d. Alterations among the three treatment groups were compared in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT), as well as their corresponding protein patterns. The seed extract concentration used in treatment III significantly enhanced testicular SOD and GSH-Px activities and non-significantly increased testicular CAT activity compared with the control treatment. However, the profile of testicular protein patterns was not noticeably different among treatments. These results suggested that ethanol extracts of M. charantia seeds disturbed the systems of testicular SOD, GSH-Px and CAT activities but not the protein pattern in the testicular environment of Wistar rats.