Vol. 6, Issue 6 (2017)

Author(s):
Blahi Adélaïde Nadia Méa, Zougrou N’guessan Ernest, Lavry Grah Nazaire and Kouakou Koffi

Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the aqueous leaf extract of Sarcocephalus latifolius (Rubiaceae), a medicinal plant much appreciated by african populations in general and ivoirians in particular, on the reproductive parameters of male Wistar rats. To achieve this work, forty adult male rats were divided into four groups of ten. The first group (control) received distilled water. The second, third and fourth groups were daily gauged with 1 ml of aqueous leaves extract, at the respective doses of 250; 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight (bw), for 60 days. On day thirty-one of the treatment, five (5) rats of each lot were sacrificed and the rest, on day sixty-one. Parameters such as body weight, weight of androgen dependent organs, sperm number, motility and morphology, LH, FSH and testosterone levels of these rats were investigated. The results showed a significant increase in fresh weight (p<0.001) and dry weight (p<0.01) of the Cowper glands, fresh weight (p<0.05) and dry weight (p<0.01) of Levator Ani Bulbo Cavanous muscle (LABC) and dry weight (p<0.05) of the glans, at 1000 mg/kg bw, the number and normal spermatozoa with doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg bw of extract, sperm motility rate and serum testosterone level at the three doses of extract compared to the controls at the end of treatment of 30 days. In addition, after treatment of 60 days, the results showed a significant increase of the prostate fresh weight (p<0.05), epididymis fresh (p<0.05) and dry weight (p<0.01) at 1000 mg/kg bw dose of extract and dry weight (p<0.05) of the epididymis with the 500 mg/kg bw aqueous extract, as well as a significantly increased of sperm count and sperm motility at a dose of 500 mg/kg bw of extract, normality at three doses of extract and testosterone level at 1000 mg/kg bw of extract compared to controls. All these results show that the aqueous extract of Sarcocephalus latifolius leaves would contain androgenic compounds or would have androgenic-like effects, with direct action on the testis.