Background: Many health problems are related to lifestyle and dietary factors. Since ancient times, food additives such as sulfites have been used to preserve foods. Diverse effects of sulfites on multiple organs have been reported but its effect on female reproductive organ has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sodium metabisulfite (SMB) on ovarian tissue in adult rats. Methods: Four groups of female rats (n=32) were used. The experimental rats received 10, 100 and 260 mg/kg SMB for 28 days (S10, S100 and S260 groups, respectively). The control rats received distilled water for the same period. The ovarian volume, weight and the number of different types of follicles were estimated by stereological methods. Lipid peroxidation is assessed indirectly by the measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA), using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in the ovarian volume, the number of primordial, primary, secondary, grafian follicles and corpus luteum in the SMB-treated animals compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In comparison to the control group, the number of atretic follicles increased in the SMB-treated rats. MDA was significantly increased in S260 group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The present data confirm sulfite-induced structural changes in the ovary. Increased level of MDA because of SMB ingestion suggests that free radicals may have a critical role in these changes.
Background: Sulfites including Sodium Metabisulfite (SMB) are commonly used as food preservatives and pharmaceutical products. Despite their worldwide use, there is evidence suggesting their toxicity on human organs and tissues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of SMB with or without Zingiber officinale (ginger) extract on the rat ovary. Methods: A total of 32 adult, female Wistar rats were divided into four groups of eight each. They consisted of, a) control group, b) ginger group (500 mg/kg/day), c) SMB group (260 mg/kg/day), and d) combined SMB and ginger group at identical doses. After 28 days, the rats were sacrificed and the ovarian tissue Malondialdehyde (MDA), as a marker of lipid peroxidation was measured. The volume and weight of the ovaries and the number of follicles at different stages were counted by stereological methods. Results: The SMB treatment caused a significant decrease in the ovarian volume and the number of follicles with simultaneous increase in the number of degenerate follicles (P≤0.001) and MDA level (P≤0.01). Ginger treatment of the rats exposed to SMB significantly increased the number of follicles at various stages and partially reversed the ovarian tissue level of MDA, compared to that in the control group (P≤0.05). Conclusion: The SMB treatment induced structural changes in the rats’ ovaries and the concomitant treatment with ginger largely reversed the damages caused by SMB.
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