Tope Gafar Atere - Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria
Oluseyi Adeboye Akinloye - Department of Biochemistry, College of Bioscience, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
Regina Ngozi Ugbaja - Department of Biochemistry, College of Bioscience, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
David Ajiboye Ojo - Department of Microbiology, College of Bioscience, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

Background: Co-administration of streptozotocin and fructose is believed to induce type ۲ diabetes as well as to cause reproductive toxicity and testicular damage via increasing oxidative stress in rats. Objectives: In this study, the potential protective effect of Costus afer leaves methanol extract (CAME) on andrological parameters and pituitary-gonadal axis hormones of type ۲ diabetes (T۲D) in rats treated with streptozotocin and fructose was investigated. Methods: A total of ۳۵ rats were divided into five groups, each including seven rats. Group ۱ received normal saline, whereas T۲D was induced in rats from groups ۲, ۳, ۴, and ۵. Group ۲ served as diabetic control; while groups ۳, ۴, and ۵ were treated orally with ۱۲ mg/kg body weight (BW) of metformin as well as ۱۰۰ and ۲۰۰ BW of CAME, respectively, for ۴ weeks. Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal responses, andrological parameters, DNA fragmentation, and oxidative stress parameters of the reproductive organs were examined in all treatment groups. Results: Administration of CAME reduced the degenerative changes in testes, epididymis and improved pituitary-gonadal axis hormone concentrations, and sperm morphology occasioned by the treatments. Conclusion: It was concluded that the administration of CAME ameliorated reproductive abnormalities in T۲D rat models treated with streptozotocin-fructose administration.

Costus afer, Andrological parameters, Diabetes mellitus, Oxidative stress, Sperm analysis