Enhanced activities of reproductive system in male rat treated with male silkworm pupae extract

Abstract

A male silkworm pupae extract with herbal mixtures such as Rubus coreanus Miquel, Chinese matrimony vine Acanthopanax senticosus and tocopherol can be effectively used to recover or boost stamina. In this study, the effect of the male silkworm pupae extract on the reproductive system of Sprague–Dawley male rats was investigated. No clinical symptoms, and no dying or dead animals were found among experimental male silkworm larvae extract, male silkworm pupae extract and control rat groups during the study. No significant differences were found in body weights, feed or water consumption, or macroscopic examination among the three groups. No lesion was found upon necropsy. However, sperm in the group treated with male silkworm pupae extract were significantly more active than sperm in the control group. Sperm counts in both male groups treated with male silkworm larvae extract and male silkworm pupae extract were significantly higher than sperm counts in the control group. Analysis of phospholipid–hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) gene expression showed that the male silkworm pupae extract increased expression in testes by 26.7%. This study shows that the male silkworm pupae extract has potential to be used to enhance the function of the human reproductive system.

Evaluation and Comparison of the Effects of Mature Silkworm (Bombyx mori) and Silkworm Pupae Extracts on Schwann Cell Proliferation and Axon Growth: An In Vitro Study

“…In a study, the effect of the male silkworm extracts on the reproductive tract of male rats was studied. Sperm counts were notably greater in male rats treated with male silkworm larvae extract and male silkworm pupae extract compared to the control group (65). The animal examination showed that alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity was higher in the liver of mice orally administered with 0.5 mg/mL of silkworm extract and alcohol, indicating that silkworm pupae extracts have alcohol detoxification activity (66).…”

Future prospects of insects as a biological resource in India: Potential biological products utilizing insects with reference to the frontier countries

“…A variety of medicinal values of male silkworm pupae has been reported, e.g. that they possess a potential of enhancing functions of the human reproductive system including sperm count and expression level of PHGRx gene in testicular tissues levels of testosterone (Kwon et al 2013;Ryu et al 2002). A positive effect of male silkworm pupa powder on the erectile dysfunction of the rat has been demonstrated (Oh et al 2012) and Ryu et al (2013) have reported a blood glucose lowering activity of silkworm (Bombyx mori) larval powder.…”

“…that they possess a potential of enhancing functions of the human reproductive system including sperm count and expression level of PHGRx gene in testicular tissues levels of testosterone (Kwon et al . 2013; Ryu et al . 2002).…”