Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) Fruit Juice Defeats Testicular Impairment in Type I Diabetic Rats: Targeting Inhibition of Advanced Glycation End Products, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation

Bahshwan, Safia; Aljadani, Haya; Saaty, Afnan; Abduljawad, Eman; Mansoury, Manal; Alharbi, Saleh; Alahmadi, Ahlam; Ali, Soad

doi:10.21608/ejvs.2025.429004.3169

Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) Fruit Juice Defeats Testicular Impairment in Type I Diabetic Rats: Targeting Inhibition of Advanced Glycation End Products, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Biological Sciences Department, College of Science and Arts, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh 21911, Saudi Arabia.

² Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

³ Laboratory Department, Eradah Services, Second Health Cluster, Eradah & Mental Health Complex, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

⁴ Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

⁵ Department of Histology and cell biology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

10.21608/ejvs.2025.429004.3169

Abstract

Metabolic diseases, as diabetes type 1 (DT1), frequently correlate with diminished male fertility and testicular damage. The primary pathogenic mechanisms were elevated blood glucose levels, disrupting the hypothalamus–pituitary–testis axis, mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and the build-up of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Documented influence of oxidative stress on fertility has shed light on the use of antioxidant compounds to guard against DT1-induced testicular damage. Cape gooseberry fruit juice (CGFJ) boosts the antioxidant defence systems against reproductive toxicity. This study aimed to assess the probable preventive impact of CGFJ against testicular injury related to DT1 in rats. Furthermore, evaluate the impact of CGFJ on AGEs and indicators of oxidative stress. Male rats (five groups) were randomly allocated as follows: 1- control; 2- STZ-diabetic; 3- MT-treated diabetic; 4- CGFJ-treated diabetic; 5- CGFJ + MT-treated diabetic groups. DT1 was induced with a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (65 mg/kg). Metformin (MT) (600 mg/kg) and CGFJ (5mL/kg) were orally administered once/day for 70 days. The findings demonstrated that GBFJ reduced serum glucose and elevated serum insulin and testosterone levels, and ameliorated serum gonadotrophic hormones. GBFJ administration alleviated the pathological features of testicular injury made by STZ. The GBFJ decreased oxidative stress levels, as evidenced by reduced MDA levels, and improved antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT and GR). Additionally, GBFJ improved serum levels of AGEs and the testicular protein expression of NF-κB. GBFJ significantly augments the effects of MT, it mitigated DT1-induced testicular damage via inhibiting AGEs, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

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