title: Effects of Pomegranate Seed Oil on the Fertilization Potency of Rat's Sperm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pomegranate has been taken great scientific attention in recent years due to its health benefits. Pomegranate seed oil is a rich source of 9-cis, and 11-trans conjugate linolenic acid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary pomegranate seed oil on the fertilization potency of rat's sperm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. The first group, which served as the control group, received 1 mL of corn oil for seven weeks. Groups II, III, IV served as the experimental groups received 200, 500 and 1000 mg/kg of pomegranate seed oil, for the same period of time respectively. After seven weeks, all of the rats were sacrificed, and their epididymis sperm was collected and added to IVF medium (T6) containing metaphase II oocytes. Almost 21 oocytes had been removed from every female rat oviduct. In this medium, oocyte fertilization, cleavage rates, and embryo development into blastocysts, were evaluated by inverted microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of LD50 in the oral route in male rats were more than 5000 mg/kg body weight. Our data showed that the rates of fertilization, cleavage and embryo development into blastocysts were higher in the groups that had received 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight of pomegranate seed oil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that pomegranate seed oil had a positive effect on the fertilization potency of male rats. These beneficial effects may be useful in assisted reproductive technology.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences , Yasuj, Iran .
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikseresht
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences , Yasuj, Iran .
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fallahzadeh
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Department of Nutrition, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences , Yasuj, Iran .
authors.forename: Mehdi Akbartabar
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Toori
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences , Yasuj, Iran .
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
keywords: Blastocyst; Embryo development; Fertilization potency; Oocyte
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