Evaluation of the Antioxidant and Testiculo-protective Effects of Prunus domestica leaf Ethanolic extract on Cadmium-Induced Reproductive Toxicity in Wistar Rats

This study investigated the protective effects of ethanolic leaf extract of Prunus domestica against cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in adult male Wistar rats. Cadmium is a well-established reproductive toxicant known to induce oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, hormonal imbalance and impaired spermatogenesis (Nordberg et al., 2007; Waalkes, 2003). Thirty adults male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 6). Cadmium chloride (2 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally for 21 days. Ethanolic leaf extract of (200 and 400 mg/kg) was administered orally. Cadmium significantly (P < 0.05) increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels while reducing superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), testosterone levels, sperm count and motility. Histopathology revealed seminiferous tubular degeneration and germ cell loss. Co-administration of the extract significantly reversed these alterations in a dose-dependent manner. The findings suggest that Prunus domestica leaf extract mitigates cadmium-induced testicular damage through antioxidant mechanisms.