Postnatally induced metabolic and oxidative changes associated with maternal high-fat consumption were mildly affected by Quercetin-3-O-rutinoside treatment in rats.

Oxidative stress is usually associated with prolonged intake of high-fat diet (HFD). However, little is known about the impact of maternal HFD on endogenous modulation of antioxidant-defence-enzyme-network, its link to adverse fetal growth and overall effects of Quercetin-3-o-rutinoside (QR) supplementation. Sprague-Dawley rats were initially assigned to normal diet (ND) or HFD for 8 weeks and mated.

Evaluation of maternal high-fat diet and Quercetin-3-O-rutinoside treatment on the reproductive profile of diet naïve male offspring.

Background: Male infertility and reproductive dysfunctions have become major global health problems. Although several causative factors have been attributed to this challenge, of importance are alterations in maternal-foetal environment, diet-induced transcriptional changes and dysregulation in chemical signaling via hypothalamic-gonadal axis.

Aim: The present study investigated the impact of maternal high-fat diet (HFD) consumption and the putative role of Quercetin-3-O-rutinoside on reproductive functions of male offspring rats at critical developmental stages with a quest to unravel the underpinned molecular changes.