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Abstract

Present study was carried out to assess testicular toxicity of pyrethroid insecticide, Deltamethrin (DM) in male Swiss albino mice, Mus musculus and to evaluate protective role of Allium sativum (AS) in alleviating the detrimental effect of DM. Forty male mice were divided into five experimental groups (8 mice per group) and were categorized : Control-Given distilled water and food ad libitum, Vehicle Control (oil)-Given peanut oil, DM treated-Given 1/5 th of LD 50 (6 mg/kg body weight) of DM dissolved in peanut oil via oral gavage, AS-given Allium sativum only (200 mg/kg body weight), DM + AS-given Deltamethrin along with Allium sativum (6 mg/kg body wt. + 200 mg/kg body wt.). Experiment was conducted for a duration of 45 days. DM caused a significant reduction in body weight, testicular weight, Total Protein, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione (GSH), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), Glutathione Reductase (GRx), Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) and Glycogen content of testis. DMtreated group also showed a significant increase in testicular malondialdehyde (MDA) and Cholesterol concentrations. Conversely, treatment with Allium sativum improved the DM-induced oxidative damage and other evaluated indices of testes. Results indicate that DM exerts significant harmful effects on male mice and concurrent administration of Allium sativum ameliorates the detrimental effects of DM. INTRODUCTION: Under the pretext of demographic growth with all its consequences, agricultural production resorts to the use of a varied and a large quantity of insecticides to improve the production and preservation of food stuffs. Thus, the use of insecticides has increased rapidly and is now widespread to the lowest level of agricultural production. Synthetic pyrethroids are modified derivatives of pyrethins, natural substances obtained from flowers of pyrethrum species.