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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Toxicol.
Sec. Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1469340
This article is part of the Research Topic New thoughts on emerging and classical contributors to male reproductive toxicology View all 7 articles

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of triclosan exposure on human semen quality

Provisionally accepted
Cecilia A. Adegbola Cecilia A. Adegbola 1Tunmise Maryanne Akhigbe Tunmise Maryanne Akhigbe 2Adetomiwa E. Adeogun Adetomiwa E. Adeogun 3,4Eva Tvrdá Eva Tvrdá 5Alica Pizent Alica Pizent 6Roland E. Akhigbe Roland E. Akhigbe 1*
  • 1 Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria
  • 2 Osun State University, Ejigboe, Nigeria
  • 3 Babcock, Iremo, Nigeria
  • 4 Babcock University, Iremo, Nigeria
  • 5 Institute of Biotechnology, Nitra, Slovakia
  • 6 Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal compound commonly found in personal care and consumer products, has raised concerns regarding its impact on male reproductive health. Despite existing experimental studies indicating potential hazards to the male reproductive system, the literature on its effects on human semen quality remains limited and inconsistent. This study presents a systematic review and metaanalysis assessing the relationship between triclosan exposure and semen quality. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024524192) and adhered to PRISMA guidelines. The study analyzed 562 screened studies, out of which five articles comprising 1,312 male subjects were finally included in the study. The eligible studies were geographically diverse, with three from China, one from Belgium, and one from Poland. Also, the eligible studies were both case-control and cross-sectional. The meta-analysis revealed that triclosan exposure significantly reduced sperm concentration (Standard Mean Difference (SMD) -0.42 [95% CI: -0.75, -0.10], P = 0.01) and sperm total motility (SMD -1.30 [95% CI: -2.26, -0.34], P = 0.008). Mechanistic insights from animal and in vitro studies suggest that oxidative stress may mediate the adverse effects of triclosan on semen quality. This meta-analysis is the first comprehensive evaluation of the impact of triclosan on human semen quality, highlighting its potential to impair male fertility through reductions in sperm concentration and motility. However, the high heterogeneity among the included studies underscores the need for further high-quality research to establish more definitive conclusions regarding the effects of triclosan exposure on human reproductive health.

    Keywords: Endocrine disruptor, Environmental toxicant, male infertility, Oxidative Stress, Semen, sex hormones

    Received: 23 Jul 2024; Accepted: 08 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Adegbola, Akhigbe, Adeogun, Tvrdá, Pizent and Akhigbe. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Roland E. Akhigbe, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria

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