Effects of aqueous extract of celery (Apium graveolens L.) leaves on spermatogenesis in healthy male rats

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Public Health, Student at the Faculty of Hygiene Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Department of Physiology, Student at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran

3 Department of Physiology and Diabetes Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

4 Department of Histology Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

5 Department of engineering Environmental Health, Faculty of Hygiene Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

Objectives: Nowadays, a lot of attention has been paid to the therapeutic properties of herbs, including evaluation of the effects of these plants on fertility in laboratory animals. Apium graveolens L. (celery) has been widely used in traditional medicine for treatment of various disorders including impotency. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effects of aqueous extract of A. graveolens on testicular tissue and spermatogenesis in healthy male rats.
Materials and Methods: In this research, 24 apparently healthy male rats were divided into three groups, including eight rats in each. The first group as control received only distilled water 1 ml/animal/day. The second and third groups orally received 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w. of the extract, respectively, for 30 days. The day after the last administration of the extract, the rats were sacrificed, the testes were removed entirely, and the morphometric studies were carried out. Epididymal sperm count and histological studies of testicular tissue were conducted.
Results: The comparison between the treated and control groups revealed a remarkable increase in the seminiferous tubules diameter, testes volume (p≤0.001), and the number of spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes and spermatozoa. Furthermore, the increase in the number of spermatids and epididymal weight were only significant at high doses of the extract (p≤ 0.05).
Conclusions: The results from this study indicated that administration of celery leaf extract may improve spermatogenesis process and also be useful for some sperm fertility parameters.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Afzalzadeh MR, Papahn AA, Amirzargar A, Kazemi Varnamkhasti M, Ganjali H, Gharib Mombeni E. 2013. Effect Of Vitis Vinifera Leave Hydro-Alcoholic Extract On Reproductive Parameters In Adult Normal Male Rats. J Phys Pharm Adv, 6: 159-166.
Ageel A, Islam M, Ginawi O, Al‐Yahya M. 1994. Evaluation of the aphrodisiac activity of Litsea chinensis (Lauraceae) and Orchis malculata (Orchidaceae) extracts in rats. Phytother Res, 2: 103-105.
Fluke H. Medicinal plants. 2005. Translated by: Tavakoli-Saberi, M, Sedaghat, R. 6th ed. p. 201, Tehran, Gulshan Press.
Gharib Naseri M, Pilehvaran A, Shamansouri N. 2007. Investigating the spasmolytic activity of celery (Apium Graveolens) leaf hydroalcoholic extract on rat's ileum. KAUMS J (FEYZ), 3: 1-7.
Gilber SF. 1997. Developmental Biology. 5th ed. Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates, pp: 755-758.
Hamza AA, Amin A. 2007. Apium graveolens modulates sodium valproate‐induced reproductive toxicity in rats. J Exp Zool A Ecol Genet Physiol,4: 199-206.
Jakovljevic V, Raskovic A, Popovic M, Sabo J. 2002. The effect of celery and parsley juices on pharmacodynamic activity of drugs involving cytochrome P450 in their metabolism. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet, 3: 153-156.
Juan ME, González-Pons E, Munuera T, Ballester J, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Planas JM. 2005. trans-Resveratrol, a natural antioxidant from grapes, increases sperm output in healthy rats. J Nutr, 4: 757-760.
Kerishchi P, Nasri S, Amin G, Tabibian M, editors. The effects of Apium graveolens extract on sperm parameters and H-G hormonal axis in mice. Proceedings of the 20th Iranian Congress of Physiology and Pharmacology; 2011 Sep; Hamedan, Iran.
Khan UA, Aslam M, Saeed SA. 2004. Effect of beta adrenergic antagonist on the production of testosterone by rat’s Leydig cells. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad, 4: 26-28.
Khosravi M. 2006. Medicinal herb. 3rd ed. Tehran, Mohammed Publication, pp: 124 [in Persian].
Kolarovic J, Popovic M, Mikov M, Mitic R, Gvozdenovic L. 2009. Protective effects of celery juice in treatments with Doxorubicin. Molecules, 4: 1627-1638.
Krinke GJ. 2000. The handbook of experimental animals: The laboratory rat. In: Bullock G, Bunton TE (Eds.), p. 150, New York, Academic Press
Mansi K, Abushoffa AM, Disi A, Aburjai T. 2009. Hypolipidemic effects of seed extract of celery (Apium graveolens) in rats. Pharmacogn Mag, 5: 301.
McLachlan R, O'Donnell L, Meachem S, Stanton P, De Kretser D, Pratis K, Robertson DM. 2002. Identification of specific sites of hormonal regulation in spermatogenesis in rats, monkeys, and man. Recent Prog Horm Res, 1: 149-179.
Miean KH, Mohamed S. 2001. Flavonoid (myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin) content of edible tropical plants. J Agric Food Chem,6: 3106-3112.
Modaresi M, Gholchobian H. 2012. Effect of hydro alcoholic extract of nettle on Immune system in mice. Asian J Chemistry, 24: 2339-2341.
Modaresi M, Ghalamkari G, jalalizand A. 2012. The Effect of Celery (Apium graveolens) Extract on the Reproductive Hormones in Male Mice. APCBEE Procedia, 4: 99-104.
Mokhtari M, Zanboori M. 2011. The Effects of Lead Acetate on Sexual Behavior and the Level of Testosterone in Adult Male Rats. Int J Fertil Steril,1: 13-20.
Nagella P, Ahmad A, Kim SJ, Chung IM. 2012. Chemical composition, antioxidant activity and larvicidal effects of essential oil from leaves of Apium graveolens. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol,2: 205-209.
Nasri S, Ramazani M, Yasa N. 2009. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Apium graveolens. J Shahrekord Univ Med Sci, 4: 25-31.
Parandin R, Sadeghipour Rodsari HR, Shamili S, Ghasempour HR. 2009. Effects of Aqueous Extract of Boswellia Thurifera on Fertility in Male Rats. ZUMS J, 65: 23-30.
Ramezani M, Nasri S, Yassa N. 2009. Study of anti-inflammatory effect of aqueous and hexane extract of Apium graveolens L. in mice. Iran J Med Aromat Plants, 4: 437-443.
Shamsa F, Reza Zadeh S, Shamsa H, Abdi K. 2009. A Quantitative investigation on some toxic and non-toxic metals in popular medicinal herbs in Iiranian market. Iranian J Pharm Res, 2: 95-99.
Taati M, Alirezaei M, Meshkatalsadat M, Rasoulian B, Kheradmand A, Neamati S. 2011. Antioxidant effects of aqueous fruit extract of Ziziphus jujuba on ethanol-induced oxidative stress in the rat testes. Iranian J Vet Res, 1: 39-45.
Tasdighi E, Jafari Azar Z, Mortazavi SA. 2012. Development and In-vitro Evaluation of a Contraceptive Vagino-Adhesive Propranolol Hydrochloride Gel. Iranian J Pharm Res, 1: 13-26.
Tsi D, Das N, Tan B. 1995. Effects of aqueous celery (Apium graveolens) extract on lipid parameters of rats fed a high fat diet. Planta Med, 1: 18-21.
Vosoughi S, Khavanin A, Salehnia M, Mahabadi HA. 2013. Adverse Effects of Formaldehyde Vapor on Mouse Sperm Parameters and Testicular Tissue. Int J Fertil Steril, 4: 250-257.
Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine
Volume 5, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
March and April 2015
Pages 113-119

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics