Withania somnifera improves semen quality by regulating reproductive hormone levels and oxidative stress in seminal plasma of infertile males

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 94; no. 3; pp. 989 - 996
• Main Authors: Ahmad, Mohammad Kaleem, M.Sc, Mahdi, Abbas Ali, M.A., M.S., Ph.D, Shukla, Kamla Kant, M.Sc, Islam, Najmul, Ph.D, Rajender, Singh, Ph.D, Madhukar, Dama, M.V.Sc, Shankhwar, Satya Narain, M.Ch, Ahmad, Sohail, M.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.08.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; alternative therapy; antioxidant; Biological and medical sciences; Birth control; Gonadal Hormones - metabolism; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Infertility, Male - drug therapy; Infertility, Male - metabolism; Infertility, Male - pathology; Internal Medicine; Lipid Peroxides - analysis; Lipid Peroxides - blood; Luteinizing Hormone - analysis; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Male; male infertility; Medical sciences; Obstetrics and Gynecology; oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Phytotherapy - methods; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Roots - chemistry; Powders - administration & dosage; Prolactin - analysis; Prolactin - blood; reproductive hormone; Semen - cytology; Semen - drug effects; Semen - metabolism; Semen Analysis; Sterility. Assisted procreation; Treatment Outcome; Withania - chemistry; Withania somnifera; antioxidant; alternative therapy; Withania somnifera; male infertility; reproductive hormone; oxidative stress; Hormone; Oxidative stress; Semen; Gynecology; Male; Antioxidant; Obstetrics; Treatment; Quality; Male sterility; Seminal plasma; Male genital diseases
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.04.046

Objective To investigate the impact of Withania somnifera roots on semen profile, oxidative biomarkers, and reproductive hormone levels of infertile men. Design Prospective study. Setting Departments of Biochemistry and Urology, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, Lucknow, India. Patient(s) Seventy-five normal healthy fertile men (control subjects) and 75 men undergoing infertility screening. Intervention(s) High-performance liquid chromatography assay procedure for quantization of vitamin A and E in seminal plasma. Biochemical parameters in seminal plasma were estimated by standard spectrophotometric procedures. Estimation of T, LH, FSH, and PRL in blood serum by RIA methods. Main Outcome Measures(s) Before and after the treatment, seminal plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant vitamins, and serum T, LH, FSH, and PRL levels were measured. Result(s) Withania somnifera inhibited lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content and improved sperm count and motility. Treatment of infertile men recovered the seminal plasma levels of antioxidant enzymes and vitamins A, C, and E and corrected fructose. Moreover, treatment also significantly increased serum T and LH and reduced the levels of FSH and PRL. Conclusion(s) The treatment with W. somnifera effectively reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by decreased levels of various oxidants and improved level of diverse antioxidants. Moreover, the levels of T, LH, FSH and PRL, good indicators of semen quality, were also reversed in infertile subjects after treatment with the herbal preparation.