Fertility Enhancing Potency of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Male Rats

ABSTRACT

Abstract Cases of some grave side effects of some allopathic medicines used in treatment of infertility has caused a global need for alternatives with minimal or no side effect, hence the demand to evaluate the fertility enhancing potential of omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) in male rats. This study evaluated the fertility enhancing potential of omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) in male rats. Seventy-two sexually mature male albino rats 11-13 weeks of age, weighing between 171 - 180 g were assigned into six groups (I - VI) fed graded doses of O3FA. Administration of O3FA lasted twenty-eight days at 48 hour intervals. At the end of the treatment, organosomatic index of testes, testicular and epididymis sperm cells counts and testicular histology were assessed following standard methods. The actual and relative testicular weights, testicular and epididymis sperm counts of all O3FA treated rats were significantly increased (p < 0.05) when compared with the control group rats. The photomicrographs of testes in O3FA treated rats showed normal spermatogonial cell layers and active spermatogenesis with appearance of spermatids in the lumen of some tubules. The findings of this study depicts that O3FA possesses the potency of enhancing various fertility indices in male rats with regards to absolute and relative testicular weights as well as sperm counts.