Comparison of the Effect of Ceratonia siliqua L. (Carob) Syrup and Vitamin E on Sperm Parameters, Oxidative Stress Index, and Sex Hormones in Infertile Men: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Herbal products with an antioxidant capacity can boost male reproductive functions. The empiric use of Ceratonia siliqua (carob) for its antioxidant properties is common among infertile men in Iran and Turkey. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of C. siliqua (carob) on semen parameters, oxidative stress markers, and pregnancy rate in a parallel randomized, controlled study. A total of 60 infertile men with oligozoospermia, asthenospermia, and teratospermia were recruited from April 2018 to March 2019. Participants were divided randomly into the following two groups: carob syrup twice a day or vitamin E 100 mg twice a day for 3 months. Semen analysis was performed and hormonal levels and stress oxidative markers were measured in each treatment arm after 3 months. The quality of semen parameters improved in the carob group compared with Vit E semen count (p = 0.04 Cohen's d = .51), morphology (p = 0.001 Cohen's d = .93) and motility parameters (p = 0.002 Cohen's d = .90) were significantly higher in the carob group. No significant difference can be detected in post-treatment hormonal parameters and oxidative markers between groups, except for total antioxidant capacity(TAC) which was higher after post-treatment in carob group. A significantly higher pregnancy rate was found among the carob group. The administration of carob may be an effective agent for the improvement of semen parameters, probably related both to its involvement in the changing of testosterone level and to its antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, additional studies to evaluate the optimal dose and duration of treatment are needed. The trial has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (Registration number: IRCT20171209037794N1.

The Effects of Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment of Thymol against tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide (t-BHP) Cytotoxicity in MCF-7 Cell Line and Fibroblast Derived Foreskin.

BACKGROUND: Some recent studies have reported anti-tumor activity for Thymol, but the findings are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate and compare Thymol's effects on MCF-7 cancer cells and fibroblasts while treated with tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP). METHODS: In the pre-treatment, MCF-7 and fibroblast cells were treated with various Thymol concentrations and incubated for 24 h. Then, t-BHP was added to a final concentration of 50 µM, and the cells were incubated for one h. In the post-treatment, cells were incubated first with 50 µM t-BHP for one h and then treated with Thymol. Cell viability was tested by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Thymol's antioxidant capacity was measured by DPPH and FRAP assays, and lipid peroxidation levels were determined by the TBARS method. RESULTS: The thymol effects were dose-dependent, and despite their antioxidant properties, at concentrations of 100 µg/ml or more, increased t-BHP toxicity and reduced cancer cell viability. MTT assay result showed that pre-treatment and post-treatment with Thymol for 24 hours effectively reduced MCF-7 and fibroblast cell viability compared with the untreated control group. Both pre- and post-treatment of Thymol, normal fibroblast cell viability was significantly greater than that of the MCF-7 cells. CONCLUSION: Our finding showed that Thymol appears to be toxic to MCF-7 cells at lower concentrations than fibroblasts after 24 hours of incubation. Pre-treatment with Thymol neutralized the oxidative effect of t-BHP in fibroblasts but was toxic for MCF-7 cells.