Sulfite salts, including sodium metabisulfte, are widely used as preservatives in foods and pharmaceutical agents. Previous studies suggest that oxidative stress may be an important mediator of testicular injury. The present study was designed to elucidate the effect of exposure to sodium metabisulfite by gavage without or with Zingiber officinale (ginger) extract on the rat testes. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, ginger-treated (500 mg/kg/day), sodium metabisulfite- (SMB-) treated (260 mg/kg/day), and SMB + ginger- (SZ-) treated groups. After 28 days, the rats were anesthetized by ether and, after laparotomy, blood was collected from the heart to determine testosterone level by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Then left testes and cauda epididymis of all animals were removed for histological examination and sperm analysis, and right testes were removed for assessing lipid peroxidation (indexed by malondialdehyde [MDA]) and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that spermatogenesis, epididymal morphometry, and sperm parameters were affected by SMB. There was a significant increase in MDA level and a significant reduction in the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) in the SMB-treated rats compared to the control. Ginger treatment of SMB-exposed rats significantly increased testosterone level and the number of different spermatogenic cells. The level of MDA reversed to the control levels and the activities of GPx and GR were significantly increased when SMB was coadministered with ginger extract. It is concluded that coadministration of ginger, through its antioxidant and androgenic properties, exerts a protective effect against SMB-induced testicular oxidative stress.

Background: Sulfites are widely used as preservatives in the foods and pharmaceutical agents. It has been demonstrated that sulfites can react with a variety of cellular components and cause toxicity. Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the effects of ingested sodium metabisulfite (SMB) on serum antioxidant status in rats. Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control and treated groups. Treated groups received 10, 100, and 260 mg/kg body weight of SMB for 28 days. After 28 days, serum was assayed for measuring superoxide dismtase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT) activities, glutathion (GSH) level and lipid peroxidation. Results: The results showed that the activities of GPx, GR, CAT and GSH levels were significantly decreased in 100 and 260 mg/kg SMB treated rats, while malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly increased in 260 mg/kg treated group when compared with the control group. Conclusion: It is concluded that SMB administration as dose-dependent is associated with decreased serum antioxidant enzyme activities and increased lipid peroxidation.