Protective effects of Stevia rebaudiana aqueous extract on experimental unilateral testicular ischaemia/reperfusion injury in rats

This project aimed to examine Stevia rebaudiana aqueous extract protective effects on testicular ischaemia/reperfusion injury of rats. Forty rats were randomly divided into five groups: (1) sham group, (2) torsion/detorsion group, (3 and 4) low and high doses treatment groups received S. rebaudiana extract intraperitoneally 30 min before detorsion by 500 and 1,000 mg/kg respectively, and (5) healthy group received the extract by 1,000 mg/kg. In this study, left testes were rotated 2 hr, reperfusion period took long 5 hr, and then orchiectomy was performed. Histopathological and biochemical evaluations of testicular tissue samples were performed. Histopathologically, sham and healthy groups exhibited normal seminiferous tubules. Germinal cell necrosis, interstitial oedema, haemorrhage and congestion were seen in torsion/detorsion group. Testicular tissues of both treatment groups revealed lower histopathological alterations. Significant higher malondialdehyde level was observed in torsion/detorsion group than sham and healthy groups (p < .05). Compared with torsion/detorsion group, S. rebaudiana extract significantly reduced malondialdehyde level in treatment groups (p < .05). Torsion/detorsion group had significantly lower glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities than sham and healthy groups, and these parameters showed significant increase in treatment groups compared with torsion/detorsion group (p < .05). The results revealed S. rebaudiana has this potential to protect the testes from ischaemia/reperfusion injury.