Aqueous stem-bark extract of Ficus sycomorus increases sperm production and pH of sperm microenvironment in growing albino rat

ABSTRACT

Sixty post-pubertal male albino rats, above 50 days of age and weighing 98.0 ± 22.9 g, were used to study the effects of prolonged oral administration of aqueous extract of Ficus sycomorus stem bark on sperm cell production and pH of sperm microenvironment. They were divided into four groups of 15 each and treated through an esophago-gastric tube at doses of 0, 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg, respectively, using extract concentration of 200 mg/ml for 30 days. Five rats from each group were euthanized on days 10, 20, and 30 of treatment and the testes were dissected out. Sperm head counts (SHCs) were estimated from testicular and epididymal homogenates by using hemocytometer and the pH of the homogenates were determined with a pH meter. The testicular and epididymal (head, body, tail, total) SHCs increased increased during the period of treatment with significant ( P 0.05) variations occurred in the same parameters in the controls. It was concluded that the extract increased sperm cell production and pH of homogenates of testes and epididymes of albino rats.