Effect of <i>Peganum harmala</i> Total Alkaloid Extract on Sexual Behavior and Sperm Parameters in Male Mice

Abstract

The study was designed to evaluate the effects of the total alkaloid extract of Algerian Peganum harmala seeds on sexual behavior and male reproductive function. After two weeks of acclimatization, the male mice were randomly divided into four groups (seven mice in each group). For 35 days, the extract was administered orally at dose levels of 6.25, 12.5, and 25 mg/kg body weight per day to the respective groups of male mice (n = 7) and normal saline daily to the control group. On day 28, sexual behavior parameters were recorded. At the end of the trial, reproductive organ weights, sperm quality, seminal fructose, and testosterone hormone levels were evaluated. The three treated groups were compared with the control using statistical variance analysis (one-way ANOVA, p P. harmala alkaloid revealed the MF and IF parameters to be the lowest compared to the control group (p P. harmala compared to the control group (p P. harmala recorded a higher time than the control group. Moreover, an increase in the gonadosomatic index was noticed in all groups compared to the control group. However, there was a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in the sperm counts of the groups treated with 12.5 mg/kg and 6.25 mg/kg. However, there was no significant difference in the motility, membrane integrity, and total antioxidant capacity of sperm cells compared to the control. The extract treatment also brought about a non-significant increase in fructose content of the seminal vesicle and serum testosterone level. The findings of this study demonstrate that the extract acts in a dose-dependent manner, and it has varying effects on the reproductive parameters of male mice.

Keywords

• <i>Peganum harmala</i>
• sexual behavior
• sperm parameters
• testosterone
• male mice