Effects of the Oral Administration of Nonpolar Extract from Ardisia squamulosa Presl (Myrsinaceae) Leaves on Spermatogenesis in Rats

Background: Several Ardisia species have been found to possess numerous bioactivities but their reproductive toxicity has been poorly explored. In the present study, the effects of the leaf hexane extract of Philippine indigenous Ardisia squamulosa on epididymal sperm count, %viability and %aberration of sperms and weights of seminal vesicle, cauda epididymis, and testes in addition to the weights of liver, kidney, and body were evaluated. Methods: The extracts at daily dose levels of 1, 10, and 100 mg/Kg BW in 10% polysorbate-80 in corn oil were administered by gavage for 8 successive days to 8-10 weeks old male SD rats and sacrificed after 9 days. Daily body weights and final organ weights were measured. Sperm from the cauda epididymis was extracted and measured according standard sperm parameters (sperm count, morphology, viability and membrane integrity). Results: Significant findings were the decline of left epididymal sperm count to testis weight ratio and increase in %sperm morphological aberration from both cauda epididymis obtained with the 10 mg/Kg BW dose. Conclusion: The hexane extract from Ardisia squamulosa had significant effect on sperm count but with negligible effect on sperm morphology and viability.