Effects of Corchorus Olitorius Leaves and Stem Ethanolic Extract on Seminal Quality and Testicular Histology in Male Wistar Rats.

Abstract

Corchorus Olitorius (Ewedu or Jute) plant leaf is a popularly used vegetable, especially, amongst the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria; it is also admired for its possible tradomedicinal potencies on several conditions including aphrodisiac effects. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of Corchorus olitorius leaves and stem ethanolic extract on seminal quality and testicular histology in male Wistar rats. Twenty four male Wistar rats weighing between 160g and 180g were procured for the study and housed in a standard animal house facility. The study models were selected into six different groups of 4 male rats per group: Group 1 (normal control) received 1ml normal saline daily, Group 2 (standard control group) received 5mg/kg body weight (b.w) of sildenafil citrate, Groups 3 (a) 3 (b) received 500mg/kg bw of the Corchorus Olitorius leaf and stem extracts respectively, Groups 4 (a) and 4 (b) received 1000mg/kg bw of the leaf and stem extracts of the plant. At the end of the separate treatments, semen and testicular tissues were harvested from the study models following standard methods. The result comparatively revealed increased abnormal sperm cells and reduced normal and viable sperm cells, as well as reduced sperm count and volume in the extracts treated models; these were marginal (p<0.05) in the Corchorus olitorius (Ewedu) stem extract treated models but significant (p<0.05) in the leaf extract treated models. The extracts were also noticed to have exerted mild interstitial tissue lesions (ISTL) with degeneration of Leydig cell as well as mild spermatic cells distortion when compared to those of the control and standard drug treated group. In conclusion, the findings of the current study points at seminal quality reductive potentials of the extracts in the models.