Diabetes mellitus is shown to bring negative effects on male reproductive health due to long-term effects of insulin deficiency or resistance and increased oxidative stress. Ficus carica (FC), an herbal plant, known to have high antioxidant activity and antidiabetic properties, has been used traditionally to treat diabetes. The objective of this study is to determine the potential of the FC leaf extract in improving sperm quality of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic male rats from proteomics perspective. A total of 20 male rats were divided into four groups; normal (nondiabetic rats), negative control (diabetic rats without treatment), positive control (diabetic rats treated with 300 mg/kg metformin), and FC group (diabetic rats treated with 400 mg/kg FC extract). The treatments were given via oral gavage for 21 consecutive days. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) level of FC treated group demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) decrease compared to negative group after 21 days of treatment, as well as a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the sperm quality parameters compared to negative group. Sperm proteomics analysis on FC treated group also exhibited the increase of total protein expression especially the proteins related to fertility compared to negative group. In conclusion, this study clearly justified that FC extract has good potential as antihyperglycemic and profertility agent that may be beneficial for male diabetic patients who have fertility problems.

Lunasia amara Blanco or sanrego has long been applied as a pro-fertility agent in folk medicine and it has also been scientifically proven to improve sperm quality in rats. Nevertheless, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism of improved sperm function upon treatment with sanrego. As such, this study looked into the potential proteomic changes in sperm treated with 60 mg/kg body weight sanrego aqueous extract, in comparison to control. The sperm proteins were subjected to proteomic analysis using 2-D SDS PAGE and MALDI-TOF. The comparison of the sperm protein profiles between treated and control rats revealed two downregulated proteins (cenexin-1 and GLUL) and 11 upregulated proteins (Eno1,PGK2,F1-ATP synthase, FO-ATP synthase, LDHC, GLUL1, ODF2, Sp17, asparaginase, DNAJB13, and tubulin) in treated rats. These proteins have been identified to be mainly involved in energy metabolism, sperm motility, amino acid metabolism, and cell signalling. This improved sperm function in sanrego-treated rats may, thus, be a direct result of proteomic changes, as discovered in this present study.

Background: Diabetes mellitus negatively impact the male reproductive parameters. The ability of Moringa oleifera fruit to improve the reproductive parameters in diabetic-induced male has yet to be documented. Aim: To investigate the anti-hyperglycaemic potential of M. oleifera fruit aqueous extract and its effect on reproductive parameters in diabetic-induced male rats. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups; normal control (without diabetic induction), negative control (diabetes without treatment), positive control (diabetes with metformin) and treatment group (diabetes with 500 mg/kg M. oleifera fruit aqueous extract). Treatments were given via oral gavage for 21 consecutive days. Analysis of fasting blood glucose level, sperm quality, testicular histology and relative testis weight were performed. Results: The administration of M. oleifera fruit aqueous extract exhibited a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose level and a pronounced increase in sperm quality (sperm count, motility, viability and morphology) compared with the negative control group. M. oleifera fruit extract restored the histology of the testes as they were seen to be packed with sperms and showed an organised spermatogenesis. The relative testis weight showed no significant difference between all groups. Conclusion:The results obtained suggested that M. oleifera fruit aqueous extract possessed an antihyperglycaemic property and improved the reproductive parameters in diabetic-induced rats. ABSTRACT SUMMARY• The induction of experimental diabetes by streptozotocin injection increased the fasting blood glucose level and thus impaired the repro ductive function of male rats. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there was no report on the ability of M. oleifera fruit extract in recovering the specifically diabetic-derived male reproductive problems while manifesting its anti-hyperglycemic effect. This study provided evidence that the administration of M. oleifera fruit aqueous extract at a dose of 500 mg/kg restored both fasting blood glucose level and reproductive parameters simultaneously in diabetic-induced male rats.

Lunasia amara telah digunakan dalam perubatan tradisi untuk merawat diabetes mellitus. L. amara dilaporkan mampu meningkatkan kesuburan tikus jantan normal pada dos 60 mg/kg berat tubuh. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menentukan potensi ekstrak akuas batang L. amara sebagai agen anti-hiperglisemia dan keupayaannya mempertingkatkan parameter kesuburan tikus jantan teraruh-diabetes. Tikus teraruh-diabetes dibahagikan kepada enam kumpulan (n=5), masingmasing menerima perlakuan secara suap paksa ekstrak akuas L. amara (dos 60, 120, 250 dan 500 mg/kg berat tubuh), 500 mg/kg berat tubuh metformin dan air suling setiap hari selama tujuh hari. Manakala, kumpulan ke-tujuh merupakan kawalan normal (n=5) tanpa aruhan diabetes yang menerima perlakuan air suling (1 mL/tikus). Berdasarkan hasil kajian, dos anti-hiperglisemia yang berkesan iaitu 250 dan 500 mg/kg berat tubuh L. amara dipilih untuk melihat pengaruhnya ke atas kualiti sperma dan histologi testis tikus teraruh-diabetes. Hanya tikus teraruh-diabetes dengan perlakuan 500 mg/kg berat tubuh ekstrak L. amara digunakan untuk melihat taburan pengambilan 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oksa-1,3diazol-4-il)amino)-2-deoksiglukosa (2-NBDG) di dalam testis. Selepas 30 hari perlakuan, tikus teraruh-diabetes dengan perlakuan 250 dan 500 mg/kg berat tubuh L. amara didapati merencat kesemua parameter kesuburan jantan yang dikaji walaupun berkesan dalam menurunkan aras glukosa darah. Perlakuan dengan dos 500 mg/kg berat tubuh L. amara juga tidak berupaya menggalakkan pengambilan 2-NBDG ke dalam sel testis tikus teraruh-diabetes berbanding kumpulan kawalan. Ini menunjukkan mekanisme anti-hiperglisemia L. amara tidak melibatkan pembaikan fungsi insulin daripada segi pengambilan 2-NBDG ke dalam testis serta tidak mampu menyumbang kepada pembaikan parameter kesuburan tikus jantan teraruh-diabetes.

Potensi Afrodisiak Lunasia amara ke atas Tikus Jantan Teraruh Diabetes (Aphrodisiac Potential of Lunasia amara on Diabetic-Induced Male Rats) NOR-RAIDAH RAHMAT, AMIRA KAMALRUDIN, SHAZRUL FAZRY & MAHANEM MAT NOOR* ABSTRAK Diabetes melitus telah terbukti mengganggu penghasilan testosteron dan menyebabkan masalah libido dalam kalangan lelaki. Sehingga kini, tiada kajian mengenai potensi Lunasia amara dalam membaiki aktiviti seksual tikus jantan teraruh diabetes. Oleh itu, kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti potensi afrodisiak L. amara ke atas tikus jantan teraruh diabetes. Empat kumpulan tikus teraruh diabetes masing-masing diberi perlakuan ekstrak L. amara (250 dan 500 mg/ kg berat tubuh), 500 mg/kg metformin dan air suling. Tikus kumpulan kawalan normal tanpa aruhan diabetes menerima perlakuan air suling. Perlakuan diberikan secara suap paksa selama 30 hari untuk melihat kesan L. amara ke atas status libido, aras testosteron serum, berat tubuh tikus, morfometri testis dan epididimis kauda serta aktiviti enzim antioksida testis tikus teraruh diabetes berbanding kawalan. Keputusan kajian menunjukkan berlaku penurunan libido, aras testosteron dan aktiviti khusus enzim antioksida (glutation peroksidase, katalase dan superoksida dismutase) testis tikus teraruh diabetes secara signifikan (p<0.05) pada kedua-dua dos tersebut berbanding kawalan normal. Sementara itu, perlakuan L. amara didapati tidak menjejaskan morfometri testis, epididimis kauda dan berat tubuh tikus yang menerima perlakuan L. amara berbanding kawalan normal. Kajian ini membuktikan bahawa ekstrak akuas batang L. amara pada dos 250 dan 500 mg/kg berat tubuh tidak berupaya memperbaiki aktiviti seksual tikus jantan teraruh diabetes. ABSTRACT Accumulating evidence shows that diabetes mellitus alters the production of testosterone and contributes to the reduction of libido in male. Formerly, no study has been conducted on the effect of Lunasia amara on sexual activity in diabeticinduced male rats. Therefore, present study looked into the aphrodisiac potential of L. amara on diabetic-induced male rats. Four groups of diabetic-induced male rats were given L. amara aqueous extract (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight), 500 mg/kg metformin and distilled water, respectively. A group of control rats was given distilled water. Treatments were given for 30 days to investigate the effect of L. amara aqueous extract on libido, serum testosterone level, body weight, morphometry of testis, cauda epididymis and antioxidant enzymes activity in diabetic-induced rats in comparison to control. The result showed diabetic-induced rats treated with both doses of L. amara extract exhibit significant reduction (p<0.05) in libido, testosterone level, testis antioxidant enzymes activity (glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase) compared to control. On the other hand, the administration of L. amara did not affect body weight, morphometry of testis and cauda epididymis of diabetic-induced rats compared to normal control. This findings suggested that L. amara at ...