In vivo and In silico Evaluation of Flavonoid and Glucosinolate as Aromatase Inhibitor for Assessing Sexual Performance against Cadmium Induced Infertility in Male Wistar Rats

Aim: The purpose of this research was to explore the effectiveness of Indole-3-carbinol and Resveratrol as aromatase inhibitors and their effects on sexual performance in male wistar rats against cadmium-induced infertility. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were exposed to cadmium (2 mg/kg) to induce infertility. The rats were separated into different groups, control, cadmium-exposed and sildenafil citrate (5 mg/kg), test includes flavonoid (Resveratrol 20 mg/kg) and glucosinolate (Indole-3-carbinol 100 mg/kg) for 28 days of treatment. Sexual performance parameters, such as number of mounts, mounting frequency, mount latency, intromission frequency, were evaluated at different time intervals. For the In silico evaluation, Autodock (4.0.) software was used for molecular docking investigation, to determine the binding affinities of Sildenafil citrate, Indole-3-carbinol and Resveratrol compounds with aromatase protein (3EQM), which is a targeted enzyme. Results: The results showed that treatment with Indole-3-carbinol and Resveratrol significantly improved sexual behavioural parameters in male Wistar rats. The number of mounts, mounting frequency and intromission frequency increased, while mount latency decreased in the combined treatment group compared to the cadmium-exposed group. Furthermore, the In silico analysis revealed favorable binding affinities and docking scores for Sildenafil citrate (-10.5 Kcal/mol), Indole-3-carbinol (-4.7 Kcal/mol) and resveratrol (-6.25 Kcal/ mol) with the aromatase enzyme (3EQM). Conclusion: So, the current study evaluated that these compounds may act as potent aromatase inhibitors through synergistic effect, thus reducing the conversion of androgens to estrogens and potentially improving sexual performance with optimal maintenance of Gonadotropins.