Abstract

Some medicinal plants contain natural compounds such as isoflavonoids and polyphenols that produce sterility in male animals. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of the chloroform extract of the seeds of Sea Island cotton, Gossypium barbadense; the ethanolic extract of seeds of soybean, Glycine max; and the ethanolic extract of the leaves of rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, on the fertility of male albino mice as a prelude for their usage in the control of house mice. The extraction of cottonseeds was performed by soaking and shaking, and the extraction of soybeans seeds and rosemary leaves was performed using the Soxhlet apparatus. Sperm parameters, histology of testes, and biochemical parameters of treated mice were compared with the corresponding ones of untreated mice. The oral administration of all extracts caused a significant reduction in sperm count and motility, and had severe histopathological effects on the testes. The plant extracts also caused significant decreases in the concentration of free testosterone, significant increases in the activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and a significant decrease in the concentration of urea in serum (except the extract of soybeans). The plant extracts tested in the present study proved to have anti-fertility effects on male albino mice, but it caused significant perturbations in the kidney and liver. These extracts could be used in the control of house mice.

Key words: Cotton seeds, plant extracts, Rosemary, semen analysis, soybeans, testosterone.