Effect of royal jelly and date palm pollen suspension on fertility in adult male rats exposed to sodium valproate

Abstract EN

Valproate (VPA) is a wide range antiepileptic drug (AED) used by most idiopathic and symptomatic generalized epilepsy as a first-line agent.

In humans, it has been demonstrated that valproate induce endocrine disorders in both sexes.

This study was intended to evaluate the effect of royal jelly and date palm pollen (DPP) against testicular toxicity induced by sodium valproate in male rats.

A total of thirty mature male albino rats were divided into five groups of sex rats.

Group(1), as negative control group received saline, whereas the other four groups received sodium valproate (500mg/ kg / day) for one week and divided into submain groups: group (2) as positive control group, group (3) given sildenafil citrate ( Viagra, 5 mg/kg) via a stomach tube daily respectively for 28 days, group (4) received daily gavages of aqueous suspensions date palm pollen by stomach tube (240 mg/kg) and group (5) received daily gavages of aqueous suspensions royal jelly by stomach tube (200 mg/kg.

diet).

At the end of the treatment period (28 day), rats were sacrificed, weights of sexual organ recorded and their sperm characteristics count, antioxidant enzyme factors levels (reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, sex hormone levels (testosterone, Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were analyzed.

Results showed that the experimental treatments improved liver function, sperm parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity and testosterone hormone levels, Therefore, the administration of royal jelly and date palm pollen may be beneficial for improving male sexual performance.