EFFECT OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF ZINGIBER OFFICINALE (GINGER) AND MUCUNA URENS (HORSE EYE-BEAN) ON TESTOSTERONE IN MALE ALBINO RATS

Thesis Overview

<p>.1 &nbsp; Background of the Study<br><br>Ginger is a spice originated from the Rhizomes of the plant Zingiber officinale. It is valued around the world as an important cooking spice. Ginger is available fresh and dried, as ginger extract and ginger oil and in tinctures, capsules and lozenges. The plant is a rhizome that has been used in traditional medicine to aid nausea, diarrhea, arthritis, digestion and treat stomach upset for centuries. Ginger is also believed to help the flu-like symptoms, headaches and even heart disease (Bhandari et al., 1998) or cancer (Katiyar et al, 1996). The important active components of the ginger root are thought to be volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds such as gingerols, shogaols, zingerone and gingerous (Sekiwa et al, 2000; Zancar et al, 2002).<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a mild taste. They can be steeped in boiling water to make ginger herb tea. Mature ginger rhizomes are fibrous and nearly dry. It is also medically used for its immunomodulatory, anti-tunorigenic, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic and antioxidant properties. In addition, it was found that Zingiber officinale is associated with a beneficial effect on male reproductive functions in rats, which confirmed by other studies on the increased sperm counts, motility, testosterone and decreased malonhydialdehyde levels. It was also observed that the administration of ginger can significantly increase testosterone level, in plasma and stimulate spermatogenesis.<br><br> Although the effectiveness of ginger as an antioxidant agent has been exploited in animals, little human research has been conducted on its activity on male reproductive functions.<br><br> Mucuna urens is a plant that belongs to the family fabaceae, commonly found in home gardens in the south eastern parts of Nigeria, West Africa, where the Efik’s, Ibibio’s and Igbo’s use the seeds as a major soup condiment for thickening. In Northern Nigeria, farmers incorporate the seed into the normal feed for farm animals due to its rich protein content (Umoren et al, 2007). It is called “Ibaba” by the Efik/Ibibio’s and “ukpor” by the Igbo’s and is usually sold in the local markets during its harvest season which is in the month of January (Eilitta and Carsky, 2003), though in recent times, it is cultivated near trees as support for growth to enable production of many seeds per plant (Sridhar and Bhat, 2007). In other localities where Mucuna urens is found, it is known as velvet bean, pica-pica, being nutritionally (Esonu et al., 2001). Despite being nutritionally promising, Mucuna has been reported to contain some endogenous toxic factors. Relatively high concentration of tannins, phytic acid, cyancgenic glucoside, oxalate and gossypol have been reported in mucuna (Laurena et al, 1994).<br><br> Toxic compounds including L-DOPA (3, 4 dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine), nicotine, physostigmine and serotinine have been also reported in mucuna. These factors negatively affect the nutritive value of the beans through direct and indirect reactions; they inhibit proteins and carbohydrate digestibility; induce pathological changes in the intestine and liver tissues, thus affecting metabolism; inhibit a number of enzymes and bind nutrients, thus making them unavailable (Bressani, 1993). It is however, believed that heat treatment reduce these anti-nutritional properties of the seeds (Umoren et al, 2007). There are reports that the seed affect the consistency of semen and motility of sperm cells (Udoh and Ekpenyong, 2001).<br><br>Mucuna urens is often cracked and removed from the seed coats soaked in water and then boiled (Osei-Bonsu et al.,1995; Elitta and Carsky, 2003), roasted or fermented to remove most of the toxic substances, which have been implicated in poisoning (Ose-Bonsu et al., 1995).<br><br>Horse eye bean are reported to be rich sources of potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, protein and amino acids (Olaboro, 1993) as well as containing 5-hydrotryptamine, mucunine, mucunadine proteins, carbohydrates, tannins and phytates (Udoh and Ekpenyong, 2001).<br><br>Udoh and Ekpenyong (2001) also reported the degeneration of sperm in testicular tubules, collapse of the villi in prostate gland and reduction of secretion in the prostate gland and seminal vesicles of male guinea pigs treated with seeds of horse eye-bean. Horse eye bean, ox-eye bean and devil bean are the common English name for Mucuna urens.<br><br>Infertility is the inability to conceive after having unprotected sex for the period of 12 months. About 20 to 30% of infertility cases are due to male infertility and 20 to 35 are due to female infertility. 25 to 40% are due to combined problems in both parts. <br><br>In about 10 to 20% of cases, no cause is found, male infertility is most commonly due to deficiencies in the semen, and semen quality is used as a surrogate measure of male fecundity. (Cooper et al, 2010). Factors relating to male infertility include Immune infertility, testicular factors, variocele, age, genetic defects on the Y choromosome and abnormal set of chromosomes.<br></p>