Abstract

Olubunmi O. Ezomoh, Peter P. Erigbali* and Sule O. Jimoh

ABSTRACT

Sulfasalazine (SASP) is a drug commonly used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease, it's endorsed with changes in fertility and biochemical parameters in experimental animals. This study was designed to investigate the effect of passiflorafoetida on fertility and biochemical parameters on sulfasalazine induced reproductive toxicity in male albino rats. Twenty-four male albino rats were divided into four groups with each group containing (n=6), normal control, positive control and test groups 1 and 2. Reproductive toxicity was induced with SASP at a dose of 600mg/kg body weight by gavage to positive control and test groups 1 and 2 once daily for 3 days. The test groups 1 and 2 were treated with passiflorafoetida extract (200-400mg/kg body weight) once daily for 15 days. Blood sample was taken directly from the heart for biochemical analysis while the testis were surgically removed for histological analysis. Biochemical analysis revealed that SASP resulted in significant (p<0.05) decrease in CAT and increase in GPx levels in the positive control group. Histological analysis showed few spermatogenic cell with distortion of cellular architecture in the positive control compared with the normal control. Animals treated simultaneously with passiflorafoetida extract, which fairly restored the CAT and GPx levels in test groups 1 and 2. These study reveals that sulfasalazine causes deleterious effect on fertility and biochemical parameters, while passiflorafoetida extract shows promising results in the effect caused by sulfasalazine. Thus the study suggests that passiflorafoetida extract might have protective effect against oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and impaired fertility.