Evaluation the antioxidant effect of crocin on neonate Balb/C mouse spermatogonial stem cells

Aim: The aim of this study is evaluating the effect of crocin as one of saffron bioactive compounds in mice spermatogenic stem cells.
Material and Balb/c neonate spermatogenic stem cells were grown in DMEM-F12 medium and were treated with various concentrations of crocin (2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40 µg/ml) for 6 and 12 days. For detecting spermatogenic stem cells, assessment cytotoxicity, recognizing viable cells and antioxidant capacity have been used alkaline phosphatase assay, MTT assay, AO, DAPI staining, and DCF-DA assay, respectively. Statistical analyses, One-way ANOVA, Duncan test(P≤0.05), were conducted using SPSS software .
Crocin in concentrations >20 µg/ml exerted no significant toxicity on mice spermatogenic stem cells in 6 and 12 days treatment. Meanwhile, viability of mice spermatogenic stem cells was reduced under exposure to 20, 40 µg/ml to 21, 24 % in 6 days and 29, 41% in 12 days treatment. Further, evaluations of cell viability by fluorescence microscopy and antioxidant potential by fluorimetery have showed protective and antioxidant effect of crocin after 12 day treatment.
Crocin can be induced protective effect on mice spermatogenic stem cells, which conducted their effect through minimal effects on cell viability and reducing cell death.