Victor Opuada Hart

Diabetes mellitus affects more than 100 million worldwide, with a soaring prevalence. Prolonged diabetes results in reproductive dysfunction. Mistletoe is widely used in ethnomedicine, including treatment of infertility. This study is aimed at evaluating effect of Englerina drummondi (mistletoe) leaves on testicular function in diabetic male rats. Methanol Extract of Englerina drummondii Leaves (MEDL) was obtained by soxhlet extraction. Thirty male Wistar rats (170–200 g) were grouped into 6 (A – F; n=5). Diabetes Mellitus (DM) was induced in groups D, E and F by administration of 250mg/kg fructose and High Fat Diet (HFD) for 6 weeks. Thereafter, rats in all groups were treated orally for 56 days with either MEDL or Distilled Water (DW) as follows: Group A (control) 1ml DW; B (500mg/kg MEDL), C (250mg/kg MEDL), D (DM + 250mg/kg MEDL), E (DM + 500mg/kg MEDL), F (DM + 1 ml DW; served as diabetic control). Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) measured on weeks 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8. After treatment, rats were sacrificed, blood collected and serum used for testosterone; epididymal semen for sperm analysis. Results show that MEDL significantly (P<0.05) reduced FBG in groups D and E (3.98±0.21 and 4.04±0.29mmol/L respectively), compared to group A (3.94±0.14mmol/L). Treatment with MEDL to diabetic rats significantly (P<0.05) increased sperm count, viability, and testosterone, while reducing sperm abnormality, compared to diabetic control. It was concluded that Englerina drummondii leaves possess antihyperglycemic effects, and ameliorates testicular dysfunction in diabetic rats.