TY - JOUR
T1 - Studies on the viability and membrane integrity of human spermatozoa treated with essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague ex Turrill fruit
AU - Paul, S.
AU - Kang, Sun Chul
PY - 2012/5
Y1 - 2012/5
N2 - The present study aimed at investigating the effects of essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi fruits, an oil-bearing plant of Apiaceae family, on human sperm viability and membrane integrity. Chemical compositions of the oil were analysed by GC-MS. Thirty compounds representing 91.39% of the total oil were identified. The viability and membrane integrity of human spermatozoa were assessed using minimum effective dose (MED) concentration (125μgml -1) of the oil. Sperm treated with essential oil showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in viability assessed by eosin-nigrosin and fluorescence dual staining. Moreover, the treated sperm also showed a significant loss (P<0.05) of functional mitochondria and antioxidant enzyme, catalase (EC 1.11.1.6, CAT), when compared to control. The cholesterol:phospholipid ratio was also increased (P<0.05) in treated sperm when compared to control, which is an indicator of loss of binding ability of human spermatozoa to the zona pellucida. The scanning electron microscopic studies demonstrated the loss of membrane integrity in essential oil-treated human spermatozoa, which showed vacuolation, swelling of acrosomal cap, detachment of head portion and tail coiling. Present observations indicate the spermicidal property of essential oil of T. ammi fruits, which could be helpful to develop medicinal preparations as a male contraceptive.
AB - The present study aimed at investigating the effects of essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi fruits, an oil-bearing plant of Apiaceae family, on human sperm viability and membrane integrity. Chemical compositions of the oil were analysed by GC-MS. Thirty compounds representing 91.39% of the total oil were identified. The viability and membrane integrity of human spermatozoa were assessed using minimum effective dose (MED) concentration (125μgml -1) of the oil. Sperm treated with essential oil showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in viability assessed by eosin-nigrosin and fluorescence dual staining. Moreover, the treated sperm also showed a significant loss (P<0.05) of functional mitochondria and antioxidant enzyme, catalase (EC 1.11.1.6, CAT), when compared to control. The cholesterol:phospholipid ratio was also increased (P<0.05) in treated sperm when compared to control, which is an indicator of loss of binding ability of human spermatozoa to the zona pellucida. The scanning electron microscopic studies demonstrated the loss of membrane integrity in essential oil-treated human spermatozoa, which showed vacuolation, swelling of acrosomal cap, detachment of head portion and tail coiling. Present observations indicate the spermicidal property of essential oil of T. ammi fruits, which could be helpful to develop medicinal preparations as a male contraceptive.
KW - Cholesterol: phospholipid
KW - Essential oil
KW - Mitochondrial function
KW - Spermicidal
KW - Terpene
KW - Trachyspermum ammi
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84861509197&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84861509197&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2010.01148.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2010.01148.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 21671979
AN - SCOPUS:84861509197
SN - 0303-4569
VL - 44
SP - 117
EP - 125
JO - Andrologia
JF - Andrologia
IS - SUPPL.1
ER -