Impact of Tiger Nuts and Date Palm flour Mixture on Reproductive Functions of Male Wistar Albino Rats
Ogechi Norah Alfred-Victor *
Department of Science Laboratory Technology, School of Science and Technology, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Eka Bassey Essien
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Kingsley Chukwuemeka Patrick-Iwuanyanwu
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Kelechi ThankGod Nwauche
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The use of synthetic drugs in the treatment of infertility is quite expensive and has shown to produce some adverse effects. Natural remedy such as the use of plants is recommended because they pose little or no side effects. This present work is on Impact of Tiger nuts and Date palm flour Mixture on Male reproductive functions in Wistar rats. Thirty (30) male Wistar rats weighing 70-120g were grouped into six (6) of five (5) rats per group. Group one (1) the control was administered rat feed only, Group two (2) was given rat feed and Tiger nut flour only, Group Three (3) was given rat feed and Date palm flour only, Group four (4) was given rat feed, Tiger nut and Date flour mixture in ratio 1:1, Group five (5) was given rat feed and mixture of Tiger nut and Date flour in ratio 1:2 and Group Six (6) was given rat feed with mixture of tiger nut and Date flour in ratio 2:1 for twenty-eight (28) days. The result revealed a boost in sperm count, viability and motility across all groups with a notable increase in Group four (4) in sperm count (494.00 ±177.44), viability (68.00 ±5.83), and motility (64.00 ±7.14) when compared with their respective controls (62.00±18.27), (58.00±2.54) and (52.00 ±3.39). Group Six (6) administered rat feed with a mixture of tiger nut and Date flour in a ratio of 2:1 showed a marked increase in testosterone (2.30nmol/L) level, also with a significant (p≤0.05) increase in Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) (2.31mIU/ML) when compared with the control Testosterone (1.30±0.19) and FSH (0.25±0.04). Normal spermatocytes, seminiferous tubules, and spermatogonia were found in the testes of all groups given the formulated diet which shows histologically no pathology in the Testes compared to the control. This shows that Tiger nuts flour when in combination with Dates flour enhanced the reproductive function in Male Wistar rats and their use does not create or pose any risk to the testes. Therefore, its use in the treatment of male infertility should be encouraged.
Keywords: Histopathology, sperm, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)