Therapeutic Potential of Green Tea Extract in Counteracting Gold Nanoparticle Damage on Ovarian Tissues of Adult Sprague Dawley Rats

The study investigated the effects of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on ovarian tissue and the protective role of green tea extract in adult female Sprague Dawley rats. The study involved 32 subjects divided into four experimental groups: a control group, an AuNPs group, a green tea extract group, and a combined treatment group. Post a 28-day treatment period, the AuNPs group demonstrated a stark reduction in ovarian volume metrics compared to control, with the total ovarian volume dropping to 1.32 ± 0.14 µm3, cortical volume to 0.99 ± 0.10 µm3, and corpus luteum volume to 0.08 ± 0.04 µm3. In contrast, the combined treatment group displayed a pronounced compensatory effect with increased total ovarian volume (2.83 ± 0.44 µm3), cortical volume (2.26 ± 0.41 µm3), and corpus luteum volume (0.67 ± 0.09 µm3). The combined therapy also led to a significant increase in mean oocyte volume across various follicular stages, mirroring the control group’s metrics. The green tea extract group alone showed elevated oocyte volume, suggesting its stimulatory impact on follicular development. The findings underscore green tea extract’s mitigating response to the deleterious effects of AuNPs on ovarian morphology, highlighted by statistical significance (p 0.01) across numerous parameters including volumes of the ovary, cortex, medulla, and corpus luteum, as well as oocyte and nucleus volumes. The study presents strong evidence of green tea extract’s potential as an ovario-protective agent against nanoparticle-induced toxicity, suggesting its value for future clinical applications in reproductive health.