Effect of Traditional Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus with Xanthosoma sagittifolium on the Male Reproductive System of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats.

The management of diabetes mellitus (DM) targets glycemic control as well as prevention or reversal of other complications associated with the metabolic disorder. One of such complications is the infertility which has been traced to oxidative stress and DNA damage caused by DM. In this study, experimentally-induced diabetic male Wistar rats were fed with Xanthosoma sagittifolium (cocoyam) for 14 days and its effect on sperm morphology and characteristics, as well as histology of the testes were assessed. X. sagittifolium corm feed (Xs) were reconstituted with commercial rat feed to contain 25, 50, 75 or 100% X. sagittifolium on a weight/weight basis. One primary and 7 secondary cell abnormalities were observed with overall increased total abnormal sperm cells in the diabetic rats. Sperm cell motility was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in all diabetic rats, but diabetic rats fed with Xs showed increased motility and liveability. Sperm volume was unchanged, but the depressed sperm count in the untreated diabetic rats was increased in Xs-fed rats. Histology of Xs-fed diabetic rats showed reduction in seminiferous tubule diameter and luminal diameter which was significantly enlarged in untreated diabetic rats. X. sagittifolium significantly (p<0.05) prevented further deterioration of sperm cell quality and reversed cell apoptosis as presented by increased sperm motility, liveability and count. In the overall, the chances of fertilization by sperm cells from diabetic patients will be increased as well as achievement of good glycemic control and prevention of further damage by the disease condition.