Ameliorative effect of pomegranate peel extract on the testicular dysfunction in obese rats

Infertility and sexual incapacity worsened due to the pathophysiological circumstances in obese individuals. The impact of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) treatment on testicular dysfunction and its effect on testicular histological changes in obese rats was examined. Four groups of forty mature male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 10) were used. The 1st group (Gp1) was used as a negative control and fed a typical baseline diet. For twelve weeks, Gp2, Gp3, and Gp4 were fed a high-fat diet to cause obesity. Then, Gp2 was left as obese rats, while Gp3 and Gp4 were administered Konjac (50 mg/kg b.wt) and PPE (100 mg/kg b.wt) every day for eight weeks. Lipid profile and body weight changes were measured. Several biochemical parameters, including superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and malondialdehyde levels, as well as the male reproductive hormones, were measured. In testicular tissues, the immunohistochemical changes in caspase-3 and Bcl-2 expression, as well as the histological changes, were examined. Testis tissues of obese rats had various pathophysiological and histological modifications. However, treating obese rats with Konjac or PPE reduced these changes, as shown by improving the lipid profile, increasing antioxidant enzyme activity, increasing the hormonal shift, and improving the testicular histological abnormalities.