Journal of Xenobiotics

Pesticides and biocides remain indispensable chemicals for agriculture, food safety, public health, and industrial applications, as they safeguard crop yields, control disease vectors, and maintain high hygiene standards [...]

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a widely used flavor enhancer, has been implicated in oxidative stress-mediated systemic and reproductive toxicity, particularly affecting the male gonadal system. This study evaluated the ameliorative potential of eugenol, a phenolic compound with potent antioxidant properties, against MSG-induced reproductive toxicity in male Wistar rats. Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups: group 1 (control), group 2 (MSG 2.5 g/kg), group 3 (eugenol 200 mg/kg), group 4 (MSG + eugenol 100 mg/kg), and group 5 (MSG + eugenol 200 mg/kg). Treatments were administered orally for 28 days. Hematological, biochemical, hormonal, antioxidant, gross, and histopathological assessments were conducted after sacrifice on Day 29. MSG exposure significantly reduced testicular weight, testosterone levels, TEC, Hb, PCV, serum proteins, and testicular GSH and SOD, while markedly elevating TLC, AST, ALT, BUN, creatinine, and TBARS. Severe testicular degeneration, vascular congestion, germ-cell loss, and disrupted seminiferous tubules were observed histologically. Co-administration of eugenol resulted in significant and dose-dependent amelioration of MSG-induced alterations, restoring hematological and biochemical parameters, improving antioxidant status, and elevating testosterone levels. Gross pathology and histopathology demonstrated progressive structural recovery, with the higher eugenol dose showing near-normal testicular architecture and active spermatogenesis. Eugenol alone produced no adverse effects and remained comparable to the control group across all parameters. The findings indicate that eugenol confers strong protective effects against MSG-induced reproductive toxicity, primarily through its antioxidant and cytoprotective actions. Eugenol may serve as a promising natural therapeutic agent for mitigating chemically induced male reproductive impairments.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can enter water bodies and bioaccumulate in fish, leading to biomagnification; therefore, their monitoring is necessary. Passive sampling is easy to handle and shows potential for this purpose. However, studies in vivo are scarce, and kinetic parameters governing analyte partitioning between tissue and samplers remain poorly characterized. In this study, the silicone rubber membranes (SRMs) were exposed to fish fillet from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to determine bioaccumulation parameters based on dissipation modelling using performance reference compounds (PRCs). The SRM was implanted in vivo in fish, and the dissipated PRCs were measured and applied to a mono-compartmental model. The results in fish fillet showed a pseudo-first kinetic order, and the plateau was attained at a time > 30 h. However, the equilibrium may not be ensured because of the low lipid fraction (fl) in fish (4.5%), which could lead to a local saturation of the tissue in contact with the SRM. The ratio between elimination and uptake constants (K_e/K_u) showed faster PAHs–SRM sorption than PAHs-fish tissue sorption (200 times); thus, fish with low fl will lead to faster SRM sorption. By contrast, in fish with higher fl, the long-term exposures will be necessary. The percentage of released deuterated PAHs from SRM during in vivo fish exposure was 1.6 times higher than that observed in the fish fillet, indicating an active clearance process. Therefore, during implantation, the rate of clearance and the fl should be considered to ensure detectable levels for applying the integrative equation based on dissipation modelling.