Impact of Azanza Garckeana Seed Extract on Body Weight and Basic Reproductive Profiles in Lead-Intoxicated Male Wistar Rats

Azanza garckeana (Gorun Tula) is a commonly consumed edible plant, in parts of Nigeria, with claims by many that it possesses several medicinal potencies like aphrodisiac effects and more. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of the Azanza garckeana hydromethanolic seed extract (AgSE) on percentage body weight changes, reproductive hormonal levels and testicular histology in male Wistar rats. Thirty (30) adult male Wistar rats were procured and randomly selected into 6 groups of 5 rats each. Group 1 served as negative control and had only 1ml distilled water, group 2 served as positive control and was treated with 25mg/kg lead chloride only, group 3 was administered Clomide (50mg/kg) as standard drug, group 4 had 250mg/kg AgSE and PbCL2 25mg/kg, group 5 had 500mg/kg AgSE and PbCl2 25mg/kg and group 6 750mg/kg AgSE and PbCl2 25mg/kg for 28 days. At the end of treatments, blood and testicular tissue samples were harvested from the rats after proper sedation with chloroform. Numerical data obtained from the study were subjected to statistical analyses using analyses of variance and Post Hoc test tools of the SPSS Version 29.0.10. AgSE and clomide treated rats showed significantly (p<0.05) increased percentage body weight changes when compared to the positive control group. Groups 4 (treated with 250mg/kg AgSE) and 6 (treated with 750mg/kg AgSE) showed significant increase in reproductive hormonal levels (testosterone) when compared to the Groups 1, 2 and 3. The outcome on the testes histological analysis revealed that group 4 (treated with 250mg/kg AgSE) had only mild sloughing off of germinal cells, intact sertoli and leydig cells when compared to that of Group 2 (positive control) that showed obvious degenerative changes in germ cells with Leydig cells lesions. Thus, the AgSE may possess ameliorative potentials on PbCl2 altered percentage body weight, reproductive hormones and testicular tissues.