Effect of Herbal Medicine on Fertility Potential in Experimental Animals - an Update Review

Introduction:

Sexual function greatly affects the quality of life. Any problem which affects satisfaction is considered sexual dysfunction.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to investigate how recently used of complementary and alternative medicines has increased in treating infertility.

Methods:

Study has descriptive character based on searched and analyzed facts from the published articles in scientific journals.

Results:

The majority of the studies done for the detection of the efficacy of medicinal plants in treating male infertility were done on experimental animals with few clinical studies. However, there is still a need for more studies to have certain results, as conflicting results were noted in different studies done on the effect of the same medicinal plant on spermatogenesis. It might be referred it to the absence of standardization among research models, the difference in extracts, administration route, doses and how long did the experiment last added to differences in the part of the plant used and plant collection. This review summarized the finding of many studies that studied the effect of different medicinal herbs on the testes, epididymis, sperm and prostate parameters, testosterone level and steroidogenesis, erection/ejaculation function and libido.

Conclusion:

The protective effect might be due to OLE competence to antagonize the oxidative stress and LPO. Londium suffruticosum I. suffruticosum leaf extract was administered to sub-fertile male rats, subfertility was induced by carbendazim, it resulted in increased spermatogenesis, increased sperm counts, lessened sperm agglutination by preserving normal pH in testicular microenvironment, increasing the testicular oxidative biomarkers, SOD, and CAT. It was found that the main active components of the extract are alkaloids, steroidal lactones and flavonoids.

Plants in the management of male infertility

This review attempts to collate existing data and provide the perspectives for future studies on the effects of plants on the male gonads. For many of these medicinal plants such as Lepidium meyenii, Rupus coreanus, Tribulus terrestres, Panax ginseng, Petasites japonicas, Apium graveolens, Eurycoma longifólia, Pedalium murex, Corchorus depressus, Mucuna pruriens, Astragalus membranaceus, Nigella sativa, Crataegus monogyna, Fagara tessmannii, Phaleria macrocarpa, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Cynomorium songaricum and Morinda officinalis, the mechanism of actions of their active principles and crude extracts has been shown in both laboratory animals, in vitro, and human studies, and includes their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, spermatogenesis-inducing, aphrodisiac, smooth muscle relaxing and androgenic properties. Several active chemical leads including glucosinolates, anthocyanins, protodioscin, ginsenosides, sesquiterpenes, phyto-oestrogens, quassinoids, diosgenin, thymoquinone, proanthocyanidins and bajijiasu isolated from these plants are known to have target effects on the testis, but efforts have been limited in their application at the clinical level. There still appear to be many more extracts of medicinal plants that have not been characterised to determine the phytochemicals unique to them that have target effects on the gonads. Further, collaborative efforts at isolating pro-drug candidates from medicinal plants for studies at the molecular, cellular and clinical level towards elucidating their mechanisms of action on the testes are therefore warranted in the light of the current male fertility crisis.

The Aqueous Crude Extracts of Montanoa frutescens and Montanoa grandiflora Reduce Immobility Faster Than Fluoxetine Through GABAA Receptors in Rats Forced to Swim

BACKGROUND

Montanoa frutescens and Montanoa grandiflora have been indistinctly used for centuries in traditional Mexican medicine for reproductive impairments, anxiety, and mood disorders. Preclinical studies support their aphrodisiac and anxiolytic properties, but their effects on mood are still unexplored.

METHODS

The effects of 25 and 50 mg/kg of M frutescens and M grandiflora extracts were evaluated on days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 of treatment, and compared with fluoxetine (1 mg/kg) and Remotiv (7.14 mg/kg) in Wistar rats. The participation of GABAA receptor in the effects produced by the treatments was explored.

RESULTS

Montanoa extracts reduced immobility since day 1 of treatment, while fluoxetine and Remotiv required 14 days. The GABAA antagonism blocked the effects of Montanoa extracts, but not of fluoxetine or Remotiv.

CONCLUSIONS

Montanoa extracts prevented quickly the stress-induced behaviors in the swimming test through action at the GABAA receptor, exerting a protective effect different to the typical antidepressants drugs.

Guibourtia tessmannii-induced fictive ejaculation in spinal male rat: involvement of D1, D2-like receptors

CONTEXT

Guibourtia tessmannii (Caesalpiniaceae) is a plant traditionally used as aphrodisiac. We previously reported the pro-ejaculatory effects of the aqueous and methanol extracts of G. tesmannii in spinal male rat. However, the mechanism underlying such effects has not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

This study characterizes the dopaminergic sub-type receptors involved in G. tesmannii-induced ejaculation in male Wistar rat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Urethane-anesthetized spinal male rats were intravenously treated with saline solution (1 mL/kg, control); dopamine (0.1 μmol/kg, reference); aqueous or methanol extracts of G. tesmannii (20 mg/kg) in the absence or presence of haloperidol (0.26 μmol/kg), a nonspecific dopaminergic receptor antagonist, Sch23390 (0.26 μmol/kg), a specific D1-like receptor antagonist or, sulpiride (0.26 μmol/kg), a specific D2-like receptor antagonist. Electromyography of the bulbospongiosus muscles and intraseminal pressure were recorded after urethral, penile and drug stimulations.

RESULTS

Urethral and penile stimulations, intravenous injection of dopamine or, aqueous and methanol extracts of G. tesmannii always triggered the expression of rhythmic contraction of the bulbospongiosus muscles with an average mean of 3.33 ± 0.43; 7.83 ± 0.85; 9.80 ± 0.86; 0.83 ± 0.54 and 2.67 ± 0.95 contractions, respectively. The intraseminal pressure was more expressed after urethral and penile stimulations (15.66 ± 1.58 and 13.60 ± 2.40 mmHg, respectively). In rats pretreated with haloperidol, Sch23390 or sulpiride, no ejaculation was recorded after intravenous injection of G. tesmannii extracts or dopamine.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Guibourtia tesmannii-induced ejaculation requires the integrity of D1 and D2-like receptors. These findings further justify the ethno-medicinal claims of G. tesmannii as an aphrodisiac.

Aphrodisiac Activity of the Aqueous Crude Extract of Purple Corn ( Zea mays) in Male Rats

In the present study, the aphrodisiac properties of the purple corn (Zea mays) in male rats were analyzed. The aqueous crude extract of purple corn (at 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg) was administered to (a) copulating male rats and (b) anesthetized and spinal cord transected male rats. Behavioral parameters of copulatory behavior and parameters of the genital motor pattern of ejaculation previous to its inhibition, under the influence of the purple corn extract, are described. Administration of the aqueous crude extract of purple corn significantly facilitates the arousal and execution of male rat sexual behavior without significant influences on the ambulatory behavior. In addition, purple corn extract elicit a significant increase in the number of discharges of the ejaculatory motor patterns and in the total number of genital motor patterns evoked in spinal rats. The present findings show that the aqueous crude extract of purple corn possesses aphrodisiac activity.

Ejaculatory training lengthens the ejaculation latency and facilitates the functioning of the spinal generator for ejaculation of rats with rapid ejaculation

A spinal pattern generator controls the ejaculatory response. Central pattern generators (CPGs) may be entrained to improve the motor patterns under their control. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that training of the spinal generator for ejaculation (SGE) by daily copulation until ejaculation, could promote substantive changes in its functioning permitting a better SGE control of the genital motor pattern of ejaculation (GMPE) and, as a consequence, a normalization of the ejaculation latency of rats with rapid ejaculation. To that aim, we evaluated in sexually experienced male rats with rapid ejaculation (1) the effects of daily copulation to ejaculation, following different entrainment schedules, on their ejaculation latencies, (2) the impact of these different ejaculatory entrainment schedules upon the parameters of the GMPE and (3) the possible emergence of persistent changes in the functioning of the SGE associated to the daily ejaculation entrainment schedules. The data obtained show that intense ejaculatory training of rats with rapid ejaculation lengthens the ejaculation latency during copulation and augments the ejaculatory capacity of the SGE in this population when spinalized. Thus, present data reveal that like other CPGs, the SGE can be trained and put forward that training of the SGE by daily copulation to ejaculation might be a promising alternative that should be taken into consideration for the treatment of premature ejaculation.

Huperzia saururus Lam. Trevis. (Lycopodiaceae) facilitates ejaculation in spinal cord transected male rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis. has an extensive ethnopharmacological use, mainly because of its aphrodisiac properties. The species is consumed as decoctions or infusions in traditional medicine. The purpose of the present research was to determine if Huperzia saururus is able to increase sexual potency by evaluating the ejaculatory response, in the presence of a decoction in spinal cord transected male rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The fictive ejaculation model to record the rhythmic contractions of the bulbospongiosus muscles that accompany ejaculation as an indicator of ejaculation occurrence was used. Sexually experienced male Wistar rats were used. The activation of the fictive ejaculation by the i.v. administration of a decoction was tested, as well as the effects of the oxytocinergic, cholinergic, adrenergic and nitrergic antagonism upon the pro-ejaculatory activity of Huperzia saururus.

RESULTS

Decoction (3µg/animal) was able to activate the fictive ejaculation in spinal male rats, producing a statistically significant diminution on the latency of discharge parameter and a statistically significant augment for the number of discharges. Moreover, when sequential treatments using antagonists plus decoction were administered, the effects produced showed that prazosin prevent the pro-ejaculatory effect of the decoction and that the four antagonists assayed blocked the facilitatory effect of Huperzia saururus since the facilitation in the latency of response was prevented, and the number of discharges was reduced. Together these findings support the notion that the decoction exerts an aphrodisiac effect influencing the ejaculatory potency which is partially mediated by oxytocinergic, cholinergic, adrenergic and nitrergic spinal mechanisms.

CONCLUSION

In agreement to the ethnopharmacological uses, Huperzia saururus decoction has aphrodisiac properties by influence on the ejaculatory potency.