Quercetin can affect porcine ovarian cell functions and to mitigate some of the effects of the environmental contaminant toluene

The present in vitro experiments aimed to examine the effects of the plant polyphenol quercetin and the environmental contaminant toluene on basic ovarian cell functions, including the ability of quercetin to be a natural protector against the adverse effects of toluene. The influence of toluene, quercetin, and their combination on proliferation (accumulation of PCNA), apoptosis (accumulation of bax) and release of progesterone, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor I (IGFI) by cultured porcine ovarian granulosa cells was investigated. Toluene stimulated cell proliferation and inhibited progesterone, IGF-I and testosterone release but did not affect apoptosis. Quercetin, when administered alone, inhibited cell proliferation, apoptosis, IGF-I and testosterone release and stimulated progesterone output. When administered in combination with toluene, quercetin mitigated toluene's effects on proliferation and on progesterone release and induced toluene to exhibit a pro-apoptotic effect. These observations demonstrate the direct effects of both quercetin and toluene on basic ovarian functions and a protective effect of quercetin against the effects of toluene. Therefore, quercetin-containing plants could be regulators of porcine reproduction and natural protectors against the adverse effects of the environmental contaminant toluene. •Toluene affects ovarian cell proliferation and hormones release, but not apoptosis.•Quercetin affects ovarian cell proliferation, apoptosis and hormones output.•Quercetin suppress toluene's effects on ovarian cells.•Quercetin could be natural protector against some of the adverse effects of toluene.