Navdeep KaurVatika, Kamal2022-12-042022-12-042022Vatika, Kamal (2022). Heavy metal reproductive toxicity and its amelioration by combination of curcumin and ascorbic acid in male albino rats (Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810190353The reproductive toxicity caused by mixture of As, Cd and Pb in drinking water and its amelioration with curcumin and ascorbic acid was studied in male albino rats.There was a significant decrease in sperm parameters(motility, viability, count); content of protein, lipid; activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase (except cauda of LDHM), testosterone and TSH in plasma and significant increase in sperm abnormality; content of cholesterol (except copus of LDHM), phospholipids, fatty acid (except cauda of LDHM) and malondialdehyde level (MDA), FSH and LH in plasma; changes in histoarchitecture in testis and caput, corpus and cauda epididymis due to treatment with combination of heavy metals in low dose(LDHM) and high dose (HDHM) for 60 and 90 days.The non-significant variation was observed in sperm abnormality, sertoli cell number in seminiferous tubules, caput epithelial height, protein and cholesterol content in caput epididymis, lipid content and activity of SOD in caput and corpus epididymis as well as TSH in plasma of LDHM+High dose Curcumin and Ascorbic acid (C+A); activity of catalase in caput and corpus epididymis in all ameliorated groups as compared to control in both 60 and 90 days of treatment. The DNA damage was higher in testicular sperm and various protein bands were absent in testicular tissue and sperms of LDHM and HDHM treated rats whereas the combination of curcumin and ascorbic acid (both low and high doses) protected the DNA damage and showed restoration of absent protein bands in 60 and 90 days of treatment. Thus, Curcumin and Ascorbic acid have the ameliorating potential against reproductive toxicity caused by mixture of heavy metals in drinking water.EnglishThesis