Protective effect of Satureja montana extract on cyclophosphamide-induced testicular injury in rats.

The present study investigated the protective effect of Satureja montana extract against cyclophosphamide-induced testicular injury in rats. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extract were 1.03% and 0.34%w/w of dry herb expressed as chlorogenic acid and quercetin, respectively. HPLC analysis identified caffeic, syringic and rosmarinic acids as the chief phenolic acids, and rutin as the major flavonoid in the extract. Oral daily administration of S.montana extract (50mg/kg/day) for 7days before and 7days after an intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (200mg/kg) restored the reduced relative testicular weight, serum testosterone level and testicular alkaline phosphatase activity, raised the lowered testicular sorbitol dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase activities, and decreased the elevated testicular hemoglobin absorbance. It also attenuated lipid peroxidation, restored the lowered glutathione content, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities, and improved total antioxidant capacity. Moreover, S.montana extract mitigated testicular DNA fragmentation, decreased the elevated Fas and Bax gene expression, up-regulated the decreased Bcl-2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) gene expression and normalized Akt1 protein level. Histopathological investigation confirmed the protective effects of the extract. Conclusively, S.montana extract protects the rat testis against cyclophosphamide-induced damage via anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic mechanisms that seem to be mediated, at least in part, by PPAR-γ and Akt1 up-regulation.

Chemopreventive effect of Mentha piperita on dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and formaldehyde-induced tongue carcinogenesis in mice (histological and immunohistochemical study).

OBJECTIVE: Cancer chemoprevention is defined as the use of chemicals or dietary components to block, inhibit, or reverse the development of cancer in normal or pre-neoplastic tissue. Mentha extract (ME) has antioxidant and antiperoxidant properties. This study was held to investigate the protective and anticancer effect of Mentha leaves aqueous extract on oral epithelium of mice tongues. DESIGN: A total of 80 Egyptian albino mice were divided into three groups. Group I served as control (not subjected to any kind of treatment), and groups II and III were subjected to two-stage chemical carcinogenesis through topical application of dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) followed by formaldehyde on dorsal and ventral surfaces of tongues for 9 weeks. Mentha leaves extract was administrated to group III at the same time of cancer induction. Histological changes were assessed in H&E sections at 3-week intervals. The anticarcinogenic effect of Mentha piperita was tested using immunostain with anticaspase antibody. RESULTS: The oral administration of ME reduced the appearance of dysplastic cellular changes with 61% and inhibited tumor incidence with 100%. Group I showed moderate-to-strong cytoplasmic caspase expression. At 6-week interval, group II showed weak-to-moderate caspase expression, while sections from group III showed moderate-to-strong caspase expression. High significant statistical difference in the total score of caspase 3 expression was found between specimens obtained from animals sacrificed at 6 weeks in groups I, II, and III (P = 0.001**). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that Mentha piperita has inhibited the initiation and promotion of oral dysplastic lesions.