Beneficial Role of Ginger Powder (Zingiber officinale) against Acephate-induced Reprotoxicity in Adult Male Rats

Aims: The present study was aimed to investigate the protective role of ginger against acephate-induced testicular toxicity in adult rats.

Methodology: Rats were allocated into four groups where animals in group I served as controls, while animals in group II, III and group IV were treated as experimental rats. Rats in groups II, III and IV were treated with acephate (50mg/kg body weight), ginger (100mg/kg body weight) and combination of both acephate and ginger, respectively over a period of 60 days. After completion of experimental period sperm count, sperm viability, sperm motility, sperm membrane integrity, testicular steroidogenic marker enzymes (3β-HSD and 17β-HSD, serum testosterone and testicular architecture was performed in both control and experimental rats.

Results: Relative weights of reproductive organs, sperm count, sperm viability, sperm motility and sperm membrane integrity were significantly decreased in acephate treated rats over controls. Acephate administration also reduced the circulatory levels of testosterone associated with a significant reduction in the testicular steroidogenic marker enzymes (3β-HSD and 17β-HSD) in rats. The testicular architecture was disrupted in acephate intoxicated rats. In contrast, ginger administration significantly recovered the acephate-induced suppressed selected reproductive parameters with increased circulatory levels of testosterone and restoration of sperm endpoints in as compared to acephate alone treated rats. No significant changes were observed in any of the selected reproductive endpoints in ginger treated rats as compared to controls.

Conclusion: The results can be concluded that supplementation of ginger mitigates the negative effects of acephate on male reproductive health via amelioration of testicular setroidogenesis and spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm maturation events in rats.