Effect of Methanol extract of Kigelia africana on Sperm Motility and Fertility in Rats

Abstract

The fertility activities of the fruit of Kigelia africana Lam. Benth. Family Bignoniaceae, a medicinal plant used in south eastern Nigeria by local traditional healers for treatment of fertility abnormalities especially in male and female adults has been carried out. The research revealed that male rats treated with the methanol extract of the fruit showed greater sperm motility 95.14 ± 1.35, when compared to that of male rats treated with testosterone and the untreated control rats which had 89.34 ± 1.45 and 82.81 ± 2.51 respectively. The result also showed that 77.8% of mated pro-estrus female rats were pregnant after a four day circle. There was also a 66.7% pregnancy rate in females mated with testosterone induced male rats and 44.4% for the control, showing that the methanol extract had greater fertility effects on male rats.


Key words: Kigelia africana, fertility, spermatozoa, methanol extract and pregnancy.


[Nig. Jnl Health & Biomedical Sciences Vol.1(2) 2002: 113-116]