Abstract
Background
A previous study showed that 50% ethanolic extracts of the roots of Achyranthes aspera possess spermatotoxic effects.
Study Design
A 58-kDa protein (Ap) was isolated, and its spermatotoxic effects were studied in
comparison with gossypol. Ap (25 mg/kg body weight a day) and gossypol (40 mg/kg body
weight a day) were administered orally to Swiss male albino mice for 35 days. Sperm
motility, sperm count, sperm abnormality, toxicity markers such as aspartate aminotransferase
(AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the liver and serum, testicular activities
of hydroxyl methyl glutaryl CoA reductase (HMG CoA reductase), 3��-hydroxysteroid
dehydrogenase (3��-HSD), 17��-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(17��-HSD), glucose-6-phosphate
dehydrogenase, cholesterol level and serum testosterone were assayed. Spermicidal
action of the proteolytic digests of Ap was also studied in vitro.
Results
Treated mice showed significant spermatotoxicity. Significant differences were also
observed in the testicular activities of HMG CoA reductase, 3��-HSD, 17��-HSD and
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and in the levels of cholesterol and serum testosterone.
The nontoxic nature of Ap was indicated by the insignificant alterations in the activities
of AST and ALT. Ap possessed spermicidal activity even after proteolysis.
Conclusion
The 58-kDa protein isolated from A. aspera possesses spermatotoxic effects comparable to gossypol.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 18, 2010
Accepted:
April 13,
2010
Received in revised form:
April 7,
2010
Received:
February 21,
2010
Footnotes
���The financial support from Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) is gratefully acknowledged.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
