Adeshina Oloruntoba Adekeye, Adedayo Damilare Adekomi, Oluwatosin Olalekan Ogedengbe, Adedoyin Mojeed Agbaje, Francis Duru
The experiment was conducted to determine the effec t of methanolic neem bark extract ( Azadirachta indica ) on some reproductive parameters of male Sprague – Dawley rats. Twenty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used weighing between 120 – 160g. They we re randomly allocated to 4 groups with 5 animals in each group. Rats in groups A, B, and C received 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of methanolic neem bark extract respectively. Group D (control) w as administered with distilled water daily. The duration of administration was for 56 days (56d). A t the end of the experiments, the rats were sacrifi ced using chloroform. Testes were excised, weighed and fixed in Bouin’s fluid and were later processed for further histological examinations. Blood was collec ted through cardiac puncture, centrifuged and was assayed for serum testosterone analysis using the E LISA kit. Result on testicular histology showed a significant distortion of the testicular tubular ep ithelium in all the treated groups with a reduction in interstitial cell of Leydig. There was an insignifi cant increase in testicular weight in the treated g roups when compared with the control group. Double tail s perm morphology and reduced sperm motility was observed in all the treated groups. Also the serum testosterone levels showed a significant decrease i n all treated groups compared to the control (p<0.05) . The results of the study suggested that Azadirachta indica bark extract has a deleterious effect on semen and the studied reproductive parameters in male rats.
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