Monosodium glutamate (MSG), the sodium salt of glutamic acid, which provide savory taste, that is a widely used flavor enhancer, produced by fermenting sugar and sterch, approved by global food safety authorities. However, epidemiological evidence and mounting experimental suggests that high MSG consumption may cause significant effect on reproductive health by damaging gonadal tissues and disrupting neuroendocrine pathways and dysregulation of hormones. This study mainly focused on biochemical, and molecular effects of MSG on the reproductive system in both male and female by using Wister Rat as a investigating model. Extreme exposure of MSG plays a crucial role in disrupting this neuroendocrine regulation, leading to hormonal imbalances and structural dispute in reproductive organs, degeneration of seminiferous tubules in testes, disrupted development of follicles, increased follicular atresia in ovaries, and widespread vacuolization. Altered reproductive tissue protein expression and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, increased oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction showed by Molecular assays, including SDS-PAGE and zymography. Hormonal imbalances, like, reductions in serum luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and estradiol levels are the indication of disrupted Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis showed by the Biochemical analyses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Potential correlations between high MSG intake and reproductive dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, are discussed in different references of limited human data, although further studies are also needed for conclude the evidences. Collectively, these experiment emphasizes the potential damage in reproductive system in both male and female by chronic MSG consumption and recommend that there is a need of dietary awareness and more severe research to define the safe intake levels. This study state important experimental proof to the ongoing discussion on MSG safety, emphasizing the requirement for well-designed human studies, controlling the uses of MSG and mechanistic investigations to guide public health policies.
Bera et al. (Thu,) studied this question.