Pesticides induced oxidative stress and female infertility: a review

Abstract

Oxidative stress impairs the female reproductive physiology by altering the affectivity of antioxidant defense system in the individual. Several toxicants mainly pesticides alters this defense system producing various lifestyle-related diseases. The imbalance in antioxidant defense system, due to pesticidal toxicity-induced oxidative stress, is found to be associated with reproductive disorders like estrous cycle defects, impaired folliculogenesis, follicular atresia, implantation defects, spontaneous abortions, endometriosis, fetal, and other birth defects, thereby, directly affecting fertility and reproductive physiology of the organism. So, the present review emphasizes upon pesticides-mediated oxidative stress and its influence on female fertility.

Keywords:

• Reproduction
• oxidative stress
• antioxidants
• pesticides
• infertility

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial assistance provided by CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), New Delhi.