Effect of royal jelly on reproductive performance in cadmium-treated male rats

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The present study was designed to know the effect of Royal Jelly at dose (400mg/ kg BW) to adult male rats receiving cadmium chloride at dose 0.5 ppm (0.5mg/1L) in drinking water given orally for 60 days on the reproductive system physiology. In this study 40 adult male rats 12 week old with average weight 200-300 grams were used and divided into four groups which are control group, cadmium receiving group, royal jelly receiving group and finally cadmium + royal jelly receiving group. The results showed that administration of cadmium chloride caused a significant decrease in the sperms count, the percentage of live sperms, decreased in the testis tissue level of ascorbic acid, number of pups / parturition in addition to that cadmium chloride caused a significant increase in the percentage of abnormal sperms, the days from mixing experiment males with normal females until parturition and decrease in pregnancy percentage compared with control group. Using of RJ alone caused reduce in the abnormal sperms but did not affect significantly on sperms count, the percentage of live sperms, ascorbic acid concentration compared with control group. Treatment of rats with RJ whose receiving cadmium chloride caused significant increase in the sperms count, the percentage of live sperms and the testis tissue concentration of ascorbic acid, associated with significant decreased in the abnormal sperms and testosterone hormone, luteinizing hormone and number of pups / parturition and pregnancy percentage was return normal values to compared with cadmium group. We concluded from this study that RJ has a protective role against cadmium induced changes in the physiological functions of male reproductive system in rats.