Effect of khat on ovarian oxidative stress in female rats

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Jazan University, KSA

Abstract

Oxidative stress (OS) greatly influences the reproductive health in female mammalian animals. The study used femaleWistar rats weighing 200 ± 10 g grouped and administered orally as, control groups (1ml CMC), (0.5 g/100ml carboxy methyl cellulose)) and Khat groups (1ml khat extract) (150mg/kg) each for 3 and 6 weeks. Ovaries from each group at the two experimental periods used for the determination of ovarian OS markers. Results showed significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activities and nitric oxide (NO) levels and reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) levels as well as significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in khat groups after 3 and 6weeks of treatment as compared to their corresponding control values. Results overt that ovaries from rats subjected to khat extract were under OS due to the imbalance between ROS production and anti-oxidants.

Keywords