Restorative effects of Aframomum melegueta and Aframomum danielli-supplemented diets on sperm quality and testicular health following scopolamine-induced neurotoxicity in rats

Aim: Male infertility resulting from neurological disorders, oxidative stress, and hormonal imbalance is a growing health concern. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of Aframomum melegueta and Aframomum danielli-supplemented diets on sperm quality and testicular oxidative damage in a scopolamine-induced rat model. Methods: Adult male rats were randomly allocated into seven groups: normal group; scopolamine-induced group; donepezil-treated scopolamine group and four treatment groups receiving 4% or 8% dietary supplementation of Aframomum melegueta or Aframomum danielli, respectively. Sperm motility, count, and morphology were evaluated. In addition, serum testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone levels, testicular oxidative stress markers, inflammatory cytokines, and antioxidant activities were assessed to determine reproductive and biochemical responses. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiling was also conducted to identify the major phenolic compounds in both seeds. Results: Scopolamine administration impaired sperm quality, decreased hormonal levels, promoted oxidative stress, and altered inflammatory responses. These alterations were, however, reversed by diets supplemented with Aframomum melegueta and Aframomum danielli in a dose-dependent manner. The 8% supplementation produced better outcomes than 4% supplementation and donepezil treatment in most parameters, indicating protective effects on sperm quality and other reproduction-related indices. HPLC profiling revealed bioactive compounds that may collectively account for the observed restorative effects of the seeds. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that Aframomum melegueta and Aframomum danielli seeds effectively reversed the adverse reproductive alterations caused by scopolamine-induced neurotoxicity. Both species significantly improved sperm quality and testicular function, which may suggest their possible development as plant-based nutraceuticals for protecting male reproductive health in future studies. Their phytochemical abundance further supports their potential as plant-based nutraceuticals.