Exploring the male fertility potential of medicinal plants from central and West African countries: A systematic review
Ismahil Adekunle Adeniyi, Olufunke Onaadepo, Daniel Udofia Owu, Ishak Abdi Jama, Augustine Oviosun, Ekom Monday Etukudo, Elna Owembabazi, Emeka Anyanwu, Patrick Maduabuchi Aja, Josiah Eseoghene Ifie, Eric Aigbogun, Wusa Makena, O. O. Omoola, Comfort Ojochenemi Usman, Ibe Michael Usman
Abstract
Male fertility related issue among couples in developing countries has continued to prevail despites the availability of variety of synthetic drug; hence, the need to develop more effective treatment with less side effects. The present study sort to explore medicinal plants with male fertility potential in Central and West (C&W) Africa countries. The present study is a systematic review that included 25 randomized controlled trial studies using experimental animal models for various male fertility related issues treated with medicine plants sourced from within any of the C&W African countries. Most of the included studies were conducted in Nigeria 80 % (20/25). The mechanisms through which C&W African plant extracts enhance fertility include reducing inflammatory biomarkers, modulating oxidative stress biomarkers (SOD, CAT, and GPx), and improving reproductive hormone levels (testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone). Treatment with the plant extracts were associated with increased sperm count, motility, and viability, and improved histoarchitecture of the testes. However, only a few of the included studies chemical characterized the plant used for the study; ultraviolet spectrophotometry 4 % (1/25), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry 12 % (3/25), high-performance liquid chromatography 8 % (2/25), nuclear magnetic resonance 4 % (1/25), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy 4 % (1/25) This review highlights the promising fertility-enhancing potential of plant species used in C&W Africa, demonstrating their ability to improve male reproductive health through antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and hormonal modulation pathways. We recommend proper chemical characterization of the included plants to help improve our understanding of their mechanism of action.