Effect of maca(Lepidium meyenii)‎ aqueous extract on the epididymal sperms quality and the DNA normality of vasectomized mature mice : model for obstructive azoospermia in men

Abstract EN

This study was aimed to found out the effect of Maca extract on certain sperm function characters and sperm DNA normality in vasectomized and healthy adult mice as a model for men complaining from obstructive azoospermia.

Twenty adult male mice were randomly divided into four groups (5males per each group).The first group(GI) was regarded as a negative control that treated with distilled water.

Whereas group II was gavage maca extract daily with 1mg/100gm.GropIII,and IV were vasectomized .

Mice in GIII were vasectomized without treatment while the mice in group GIV were vasectomized and orally administrated maca dose(1mg/100gm).At the last of experiment(35 days), all the mice were scarified for assessment of certain sperm function parameters .

The results revealed that a significant (P<0.05)improvement of grade (A and B) of active sperm motility in mice treated orally with Maca extract was recorded compared with other groups, while grade (C) was significantly increase in vasectomized mice (GIIIgroup) as compared with other healthy mice .

DNA fragmentation resulted from fertile mice gavages with maca were reduced compared to healthy nontreated group and other treated and non-treated vasectomized mice (GIII and GIVgroup).Orally administration of animals with Maca extract caused a significant (p<0.05) improvement in the percentage of morphologically normal sperm compared with vasectomized treated and non treated groups.

It is concluded that oral administration of Maca extract caused a significant increment in certain sperm function parameters of vasectomized mice in turn this result can be utilized for obstructive azoospermic men.