Comments to Author The present study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of quercetin and methanol extract of Artocarpus altilis (AA) against Cadmium (Cd)-induced testicular oxidative damage in rats. Cadmium-intoxicated rats presented lower testicular weight and lower sperm count and motility as well as lower luteinizing hormone and testosterone compared with control animals. These changes were associated with significant increases in testicular lipid peroxides and a significant reduction in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities. AA pretreatment (200 mg/kg for 3 weeks) was able to prevent these effects in the Cd-intoxicated rats and had no effect in the control animals. The administration of quercetin or AA before Cd injection caused a significant improvement in the weights of testes together with significant decreased the change in the sperm count and motility. Furthermore, AA counteracted Cd induced oxidative stress in rats. They suggest that AA protects against Cd-induced testicular damage via anti- oxidative mechanism. The findings in this study are therefore definitely of potential clinical interest and good scientific value. I found that this paper to be overall very well informed, objective and well written. It is largely acceptable but I have a number of comments for authors, consideration. My comments are as the following: Major comments Is quercetin used here was the major active ingredient of AA. Its selection as positive control in the present work should be clarified. Specific comments: Title I would suggest a change in the title to be more reflective of your work. I would suggest (Effects of Artocarpus altilis against cadmium -induced testicular damage in rats), or (Protective roles of Artocarpus altilis on cadmium-induced changes in sperm characteristics and testicular oxidative damage in rats). Introduction 1-This section needs considerable attention to make it readable. Materials and methods 1-The selection of the plant dose in this work should be clarified. 2- In page 7, line 9: If cadmium was administered orally , the vehicle used should be saline and not distilled water. 3-The percentage of methanol for plant extract should be mentioned. 4- In page 6 and 7 the authors need to explain why both total phenols and flavonoids contents were expressed as catechin equivalent. 5- In page 9, line 41: the authors need to explain what the difference between sperm motility assay and sperm viability assay. 6- In page 9, lines 17-27: The epididmal sperm count should be expressed as sperm count/couda epididymis as following: Total number of sperm in 4 squares x 2500 x dilution factor= number of sperm/cc of undiluted suspension of couda
Results 1-In page 11 line 48-53: (However, there were no significant) the authors need to explain, how cadmium treatment was induced decreasing in sperm motility without any change in live and dead ratio.
Figures 1-Figure two, the activities of testicular superoxide dismutase and catalase should be expressed as U/mg proteins in the same trend of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-s-transferase units in figure one. Discussion 1-The discussion needs to be prepared with more care to improve its readability. 2-In methods the authors determined total phenolic content and flavonoids, while nowhere is such a determination described in discussion. 3- The effect of quercetin should be described in discussion. 4-You should close the discussion with 1 or 2 sentences that provide the importance of the work by stating implications, applications, or recommendations. It is important, however, not to repeat items already discussed.