A STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF BETEL LEAF STALK EXTRACT IN MALE ALBINO RATS
Wistar strain male albino rats were administered with alcoholic extract of Betel leaf stalk, orally for 15 days. Reduction in the weight of testes and other accessory sex organs might be due to low level of androgen, which was not enough to maintain the weight of gonads and accessories. The gravimetric analysis revealed that the betel leaf stalk extract shows some influence on the structural composition of the organs particularly on testes. The elevation in testicular protein may be an ameliorative or defensive response to the debilitating effect of this extract on the reproductive tissues. The mature germ cell population depends on testicular carbohydrate reserves. The impaired germ cell structure and function of spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa may be the reason for its accumulation as they were not utilized for spermatogenesis. The decreased carbohydrate is the measure for reduced fructose concentration in seminal plasma, as a nutrient, leads to sperm anomalies