Protective Role of Kelulut Honey against Toxicity Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Morphology, Hormones, and Sex Steroid Receptor Expression in the Uterus of Rats
Nur Hanisah Amran et.al.
Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Toxics 2023, 11(4), 324
Key research conclusions:
● Microplastics (MPs) are a growing global pollutant that can harm animal and human reproductive health.
● Chronic exposure to MPs can impair normal reproductive system functions and increase the risk of infertility in both males and females.
● Kelulut honey (KH) is a type of honey with antioxidants that has been shown to counteract the effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on the rat uterus.
● This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Kelulut honey against PS-MPs-induced uterine toxicity in pubertal rats.
● Prepubertal female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: normal control, MPs-exposed, Kelulut honey-treated and exposed to MPs, and Kelulut honey control.
● Rats were treated orally once daily for six consecutive weeks.
● The study found that exposure to microplastics caused uterine abnormalities in rats, but treatment with Kelulut honey improved these abnormalities.
● Morphology improvement was observed, with thicker luminal epithelial cells, more goblet cells, regular and circular glandular cells, larger stromal cells, expanded interstitial gaps, and a thicker myometrium layer.
● Kelulut honey treatment also normalized the levels of sex steroid receptors (ERα and ERβ), serum gonadotropin (LH and FSH) and sex steroid (estradiol and progesterone) hormones that are important for reproductive health.
● These findings suggest that Kelulut honey may have protective effects against the harmful effects of microplastics on the female reproductive system.
