Comprehensive assessment of the effect of root extract on male reproductive activity in albino rats.

To evaluate the effect of methanol extract from the root on male reproductive activity. Male albino rats were treated orally with distilled water (vehicle for the extract; control) and 50, 100 and 150 mg kg body weight of root extract for 8 weeks. Each group had its own recovery. Rats were killed 24 h after the last treatment. Caudal epididymal sperm count, motility, viability, morphology and organ weights were determined. Hematological indices, serum proteins, enzymes, testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and testicular and epididymal histology were determined. Compared with the control, the extract caused a dose dependent significant ( 0.05) reduction in progressive motility of spermatozoa, viability and total sperm counts. The number of abnormal spermatozoa and epididymal volume were not statistically significant. There was a significant increase ( 0.05) in serum testosterone levels in rats treated with 50 ( 0.01) and 100 mg kg ( 0.05) of . There was a significant ( 0.05) increase in red blood cell count, packed cell volume and hemoglobin concentration, whereas there was no change in white blood cell count, mean total serum protein, albumin and globulin in the sera of treated rats when compared with the control. The extract caused a significant decrease ( 0.05) in serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities with a significant increase ( 0.05) in testicular SOD activity at a dose of 50 mg kg bodyweight. Testicular cytoarchitecture of the extract treated rats showed degeneration of seminiferous tubules, whereas regeneration of germinal epithelium and restructuring of the germinal interstitium occurred in the recovery rats. No lesions were observed in the epididymis of the rats. The results suggest that methanol extract of the root could produce harmful effects on reproductive functions in male albino rats which can be attributed to poor sperm quantity (epididymal sperm count), quality (sperm motility, viability and morphology) and testicular degeneration. The steroidogenic potential of the plant could explain its use as an aphrodisiac agent. (Reprod Med Biol 2006; : 283-292).