Objectives
Curcumin is a promising nutraceutical with reported diverse therapeutic properties, but of limited oral bioavailability. The current manuscript investigates the role of encapsulation of curcumin in nanoemulsion form in counteracting the adverse effect of chronic ingestion of a high-fat high-fructose diet (HFHF) by juvenile male rats regarding testicular abnormalities and declined spermatogenesis.
Methods
Curcumin nanoemulsion was administered orally to Wistar rats at a dose of 5 or 10 mg/kg and compared with curcumin powder, followed by a pharmacological and histological assessment.
Key findings
Results demonstrated that curcumin nanoemulsion was superior to curcumin powder, particularly in enhancing the percentage progressive motility of spermatozoa, normalization of essential and non-essential amino acids in semen, normalization of serum leptin and testosterone levels, as well as normalization of oxidative and nitrosative parameters. It was also proven to reduce testicular DNA fragmentation, while elevating testicular cellular energy. In addition, curcumin nanoemulsion administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg induced the highest level of spermatogenesis, delineated by histological examination of the seminiferous tubules.
Conclusions
It can be concluded that curcumin nanoemulsion administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg successfully ameliorates the adverse effects of a HFHF on spermatogenesis.
High consumption
of industrialized food with high fat content is
generally associated with insulin resistance, which in turn causes
memory impairment and cognitive decline. Nicotinamide and ascorbic
acid are among the promising neuroprotective molecules; however, an
appreciable therapeutic activity necessitates the administration of
a large dose of either. Therefore, the study aimed to assess if loading
them in chitosan nanoparticles in doses 5–10 times lower than
the unencapsulated forms would achieve comparable therapeutic results.
Animals were fed a high-fat-high-fructose (HFHF) diet for 75 days.
The vitamins in their conventional form (100 mg/kg) and the nanoparticles
under investigation (10 and 20 mg/kg) were given orally concomitantly
with the diet in the last 15 days. The intake of HFHF diet for 75
days led to an insulin-resistant state, with memory impairment, which
was verified behaviorally through the object recognition test. This
was accompanied by significant reduction in brain insulin-like growth
factor 1 (IGF-1), increased acetylcholine esterase activity, increase
in the serotonin and dopamine turnover ratio, and increase in oxidative
stress and 8-OHdG, indicating cellular DNA fragmentation. Cellular
energy was also decreased, and immunohistochemical examination verified
the high immunoreactivity in both the cortex and hippocampus of the
brain. The administration of nanoparticulated nicotinamide or ascorbic
acid with a 10 times lesser dose than the unencapsulated forms managed
to reverse all aforementioned harmful effects, with an even lesser
immunoreactivity score than the unencapsulated form. Therefore, it
can be concluded that nicotinamide or ascorbic acid chitosan nanoparticles
can be recommended as daily supplements for neuroprotection in patients
suffering from insulin resistance after conduction of clinical investigations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.