Effect of aqueous extract of Artemisia herba-alba on functional sperm parameters of male rats

Abstract

Artemisia species have a high economic value in several fields, as food plants and as antihelminthic and antimalarial in medicine Many of the species of Artemisia have found their way into folklore medicine. In Libya commonly referred to as wormwood also called Alshih, the genus Artemisia is represented in Libya by seven species namely A. arborescens L, A. campestris L, A. glutinosa, A. herba-alba, A. judaica, A. monosperma and A. variabilis. This study, for the first time, documented the effects of an aqueous extraction of Artemisia Herba-Alba in the rat investigating male reproductive functions. From the results obtained, it is evident that the herbal extract in the low dose (10mg/kg) had a beneficial effect on all parameters, with the exclusion of sperm morphology. In this regard, active compounds present in the plant might have caused an increased production of serum testosterone which resulted in the enhancement of sperm quality in the rat. Another explanation for the increase in sperm functionality might have been induced by the presence of components within the plant of Artemisia Herba-Alba causing the efficient removal of zinc from spermatozoa enabling them to reach optimal motility. It is also possible that these two explanations given above could have occurred simultaneously, thereby enhancing the positive effects observed within this study. This study indicated that the traditional use of this herbs has effects on male reproductive health.