European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience

Authors
Mohammed S Al-Eissa

Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the potential protective effects of pomegranate (punica granatunm) on sperm DNA integration induced by cadmium chloride in adult male mice. Plant (Punica granatum) was collected from the local market and prepared from its water extract, Thirty Adult male mice were used in this study. The animals were eight weeks old and weighing 26±30g each. The mice were split into control (10) and treated group (20) treated group, split into two group one received cadmium chloride dissolved in distilled water administered orally at a dose 50 mg/kg/BW and group two received cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm water extract administered orally at a dose 50 mg/kg/BW duration of experiment 21 days. The current study is showed that the average body weight was statistically significant (p<0.05) decreased in the experimental group treated with Cadmium chloride and increased in the group treated with Cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm compared with the control group. The average testis weight decreased in all treated groups. Besides, the results state that, the sperm concentration was statistically significant decreased at (p<0.05) in group treated with cadmium chloride groups and cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm in respect to the control group. However, there were highly significant decreases at (p<0.05) in motility and viability of sperm in cadmium chloride treated groups at (p<0.05) compared with the control group. Moreover, sperm motility and viability in cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm treated groups as well. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in cadmium chloride treated groups and Cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm were highly significant decreases at (p<0.05). The study found that sperm with normal morphology was 86% in control, 49% in cadmium chloride treated groups and 63% in cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm, and immature sperms were 6% in control, 10% in Cadmium chloride treated groups and 8% in cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm. Where the DNA damage was 8% in control, 41% in cadmium chloride treated group and 25% in cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm. The microscopic examination of sperms in control and cadmium chloride plus punica granatunm treated group was shown a normal structure of sperms in contrast in cadmium chloride treated group showed abnormal sperms (head and tail).