Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Rhamnetin alleviates polystyrene microplastics-induced testicular damage by restoring biochemical, steroidogenic, hormonal, apoptotic, inflammatory, spermatogenic and histological profile in male albino rats

Researchers studied whether the plant compound rhamnetin could protect against testicular damage caused by polystyrene microplastics in rats. Microplastic exposure caused significant harm to sperm quality, hormone levels, and testicular tissue through oxidative stress and inflammation. Co-treatment with rhamnetin restored many of these markers, suggesting it may help counteract some of the reproductive harm associated with microplastic exposure.

2023 Human & Experimental Toxicology 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of possible attenuative role of chrysoeriol against polyethylene microplastics instigated testicular damage: A biochemical, spermatogenic and histological study

Researchers investigated whether the plant compound chrysoeriol could protect against testicular damage caused by polyethylene microplastics in a rat model. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced antioxidant enzyme activity and increased inflammation markers, while co-administration of chrysoeriol showed a protective effect by mitigating oxidative stress and preserving sperm quality.

2023 Food and Chemical Toxicology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Pharmacotherapeutic potential of ginkgetin against polystyrene microplastics–instigated testicular toxicity in rats: A biochemical, spermatological, and histopathological assessment

In a rat study, polystyrene microplastics caused significant damage to the testes, including reduced sperm quality, oxidative stress, and tissue inflammation, but the natural plant compound ginkgetin was able to partially reverse this damage. Ginkgetin worked by boosting antioxidant defenses and reducing the inflammatory response triggered by the microplastics. This suggests that natural antioxidant compounds might help protect male reproductive health from the harmful effects of microplastic exposure.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Attenuative effect of astilbin on polystyrene microplastics induced testicular damage: Biochemical, spermatological and histopathological-based evidences

Researchers found that astilbin, a natural plant compound, significantly reduced testicular damage caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure in rats. The microplastics disrupted hormone levels, sperm quality, and testicular tissue structure, but astilbin treatment counteracted these effects by boosting antioxidant defenses and reducing inflammation. The study suggests that natural antioxidant compounds may offer protective benefits against the reproductive harm associated with microplastic exposure.

2023 Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insight into the intensification of arsenic toxicity to rice (Oryza sativa L.) by nanoplastic: Phytohormone and glutathione metabolism modulation

Nanoplastics at environmentally realistic levels did not harm rice plants on their own, but when combined with arsenic they made arsenic toxicity significantly worse, reducing plant growth by up to 23%. The nanoplastics increased arsenic uptake by disrupting plant hormones and weakening the plant's natural detoxification systems. This is concerning because rice is a staple food for billions of people, and agricultural soils increasingly contain both nanoplastics and heavy metals.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic–endocrine remodelling of the testis under polystyrene nanoplastic exposure: Intervention by organ-specific phytocomplexes of Nelumbo nucifera

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics impair testosterone production and sperm quality in male rats by inducing testicular oxidative stress and disrupting cholesterol and energy metabolism, and showed that extracts from lotus plant organs — especially the rhizome — significantly protected testicular function through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

2026 Reproductive Biology
Article Tier 2

Protective effect of Cordycepin on blood-testis barrier against pre-puberty polystyrene nanoplastics exposure in male rats

Young male rats exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics during a critical growth period developed lasting damage to their reproductive system, including lower sperm quality and weakened barriers protecting developing sperm cells. A natural compound called cordycepin partially reversed this damage by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, suggesting possible protective strategies against reproductive harm from plastic pollution.

2024 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effect of polyethylene microplastic on testicles and ameliorative effect of luteolin in adult rats: Environmental challenge

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics caused significant testicular toxicity in adult rats including reduced sperm quality and testosterone levels, while luteolin treatment ameliorated these effects through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

2022 Journal of King Saud University - Science 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Irisin and Exercise Ameliorate the Polyethylene Microplastics-Induced Blood-Testis Barrier Disruption via PGC-1α Activation and AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling.

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles from food packaging can damage male fertility in rats by reducing sperm quality and disrupting hormone levels. However, regular exercise and a hormone called irisin (which your body makes during exercise) can protect against this plastic-related damage. This suggests that staying physically active might help protect men's reproductive health from the microplastics we're increasingly exposed to through food and drink.

2026 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and arsenic on plants: Interactions, toxicity and environmental implications

This review examines how microplastics and arsenic interact in soil and their combined effects on plant health. When both pollutants are present together, they can have amplified toxic effects on plants, affecting growth, nutrient uptake, and stress responses. Since plants absorb these contaminants from soil, the interaction between microplastics and arsenic could increase human exposure to both pollutants through food crops.

2023 Chemosphere 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Fetal exposure to endocrine disrupting-bisphenol A (BPA) alters testicular fatty acid metabolism in the adult offspring: relevance to sperm maturation and quality

This study showed that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A in rats altered testicular fatty acid metabolism in adult male offspring, reducing levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids essential for sperm quality and function, linking early BPA exposure to lasting male reproductive effects.

2023 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Astragalus Polysaccharides Ameliorate the Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Boar Sperm

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can damage sperm cells by causing harmful chemical reactions, but a natural compound from the Astragalus plant can help protect against this damage. This study used pig sperm in lab dishes, so we don't know yet if the same protection would work in humans. The findings matter because microplastics are everywhere in our environment and food, and this research suggests natural antioxidants might help reduce their potential harm to reproductive health.

2026 Acta Veterinaria Eurasia
Article Tier 2

Pinostrobin alleviates testicular and spermatological damage induced by polystyrene microplastics in adult albino rats

Researchers found that pinostrobin, a natural flavonoid, alleviated testicular damage and sperm abnormalities induced by polystyrene microplastics in rats, suggesting it may be a potential therapeutic candidate for microplastic-related reproductive toxicity.

2023 Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Epigallocatechin-gallate ameliorates polystyrene microplastics-induced oxido-inflammation and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in testicular cells via modulation of Nrf2/HO-1, /mTOR/Atg-7, and Cx-43/NOX-1 levels

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics caused oxidative stress, inflammation, and reduced sperm quality in rats, but that treatment with EGCG — a compound found in green tea — reversed most of these harmful effects by restoring antioxidant defenses and reducing cell death pathways in testicular tissue.

2024 European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports 1 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 3

Quantitative analysis and toxicological mechanisms of various male infertility inducers: A network meta-analysis and pharmacological approach.

This network meta-analysis of 201 rodent studies compared nine common male infertility inducers, finding that microplastics caused among the most severe impairments to sperm count and motility — on par with the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide. Oxidative stress emerged as a shared mechanistic pathway across all inducers, pointing to it as a key target for understanding and potentially mitigating reproductive harm from environmental exposures.

2026 Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.)
Article Tier 2

The emerging risk of exposure to nano(micro)plastics on endocrine disturbance and reproductive toxicity: From a hypothetical scenario to a global public health challenge

Researchers administered polystyrene nanoplastics orally to male rats for five weeks and found significant reductions in testosterone, LH, and FSH levels, sperm DNA damage, altered testicular gene expression, and dose-dependent histological lesions, indicating that nanoplastic exposure disrupts the hormonal axis governing male reproductive function.

2020 Environmental Pollution 297 citations
Article Tier 2

Protective effect of Moringa oleifera leaf ethanolic extract against uranyl acetate-induced testicular dysfunction in rats

Researchers found that Moringa oleifera leaf extract protected rats from testicular damage caused by uranyl acetate, a toxic uranium compound, by boosting antioxidant defenses and reducing oxidative stress. While focused on uranium toxicity, the protective mechanisms studied are relevant to microplastics research because microplastics also cause testicular damage through oxidative stress in animal studies. Natural antioxidants like those in Moringa may help protect reproductive health from environmental pollutants.

2024 Scientific Reports 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic mediated arsenic toxicity involves differential bioavailability of arsenic and modulated uptake in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers examined how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddies. They found that at low arsenic levels, microplastics actually reduced arsenic uptake by rice plants, but at high arsenic concentrations the combination produced synergistic toxic effects. The study reveals that the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils is more complex than previously thought and depends heavily on contaminant concentration levels.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The adsorption of arsenic on micro- and nano-plastics intensifies the toxic effect on submerged macrophytes

Researchers investigated how arsenic adsorbs onto microplastics of varying types and sizes, and how those particles affect underwater plants. They found that nanoplastics increased arsenic absorption in aquatic macrophytes by 36-47%, causing more severe leaf damage and oxidative stress than either contaminant alone.

2022 Environmental Pollution 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Arsenic and polystyrene-nano plastics co-exposure induced testicular toxicity: Triggers oxidative stress and promotes apoptosis and inflammation in mice.

Combined exposure of mice to polystyrene nanoplastics and arsenic caused greater testicular damage than either pollutant alone, with co-exposure triggering amplified oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory signaling in testicular tissue, pointing to compounding reproductive toxicity from these co-occurring environmental contaminants.

2024 Environmental toxicology
Article Tier 2

Fucoidan from Cladosiphon okamuranus enhances antioxidant activity and prevents reproductive dysfunction in polystyrene microplastic-induced male rats

Researchers tested whether fucoidan, a compound extracted from brown seaweed, could protect against reproductive damage caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure in male rats. They found that fucoidan treatment enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, reduced inflammation markers, and preserved testicular tissue structure and testosterone levels. The study suggests that fucoidan may help counteract microplastic-induced oxidative stress in reproductive tissues.

2023 Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal functional nanoplastics-induced male reproductive damage and resveratrol antagonistic effects

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics can seriously damage male fertility in mice by harming sperm production and causing inflammation in the testicles. The good news is that resveratrol, a natural compound found in red grapes and wine, was able to protect against much of this damage. This research matters because nanoplastics are everywhere in our environment and food supply, and this study suggests they could be affecting human male fertility too.

2026 Journal of Nanobiotechnology
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyethylene microplastics exposure on kallikrein-3 levels, steroidal-thyroidal hormones, and antioxidant status in murine model: protective potentials of naringin

When male rats were exposed to polyethylene microplastics (the most common type found in packaging), they showed disrupted testosterone, thyroid hormones, and antioxidant defenses. A citrus compound called naringin partially reversed these harmful effects, suggesting both that microplastics can interfere with the hormonal system and that certain natural compounds might offer some protection.

2024 Scientific Reports 22 citations
Article Tier 2

The Possible Protective Effect of Luteolin in a Thioacetamide Rat Model of Testicular Toxicity

This animal study tested whether luteolin, a natural plant compound with antioxidant properties, could protect against testicular toxicity caused by thioacetamide. The study establishes an animal model for studying reproductive toxicity and evaluates whether natural antioxidants can mitigate oxidative damage to sperm-producing tissues.

2022 International Journal of Agriculture and Biology