According to the latest data, globally 15% of couples have infertility and male infertility contributes to 10% of all cases. Infertility can be caused by certain biological changes in the gonads and the reproductive system like azoospermia, oligospermia, asthenospermia, teratozoospermia and hypospermatogenesis. Genetic causes of azoospermia include chromosomal abnormalities, Y chromosome microdeletions and deletion or other mutations of Y-linked genes. The maximum number of the genes are located in the azoospermia factor region of the long arm (Yq) of the Y chromosome. Y chromosome microdeletion is known as the second major genetic cause of spermatogenetic failure. This article aims to review the latest updates on the involvement of Yq microdeletions in male infertility. The diagnostics, prevalence and phenotypic spectrum related to Yq gene microdeletions are discussed.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease affecting the aged population. The variable loss of dopaminergic neurons within substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of the brain, which controls movement, and the presence of intracellular protein aggregates called Lewy bodies are major pathological findings. The recent years’ research in PD is directed to herbal drug discovery for PD as a large number of patients, particularly in western countries, prefer to use “natural therapies” and drugs instead of pharmaceuticals. Kapikachhu (Mucuna pruriens Linn.) is one of the popular drugs in Ayurveda, the classical system of medicine in India. The seeds of M. pruriens contain 5% L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), and it has emerged as a promising single drug treatment of PD. The present manuscript is an attempt at obtaining complete knowledge regarding Parkinson’s disease as mentioned in Ayurveda for achieving a natural and holistic approach to better management and prevention of disease with herbal drugs, such as M. pruriens.