AMELIORATIVE POTENTIAL OF MORINGA OLEIFERA AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT ON PARACETAMOL-INDUCED TESTICULAR TOXICITY IN ADULT MALE SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

Testicular toxicity has been associated with long-term paracetamol usage. Moringa oleifera is known to eliminate toxins from organs and restore functionality. This study seeks to ascertain the potency of moringa in ameliorating paracetamol-induced testicular toxicity. Forty nine (49) Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into seven (7) groups composed of 7 rats each treated for 5 weeks. One group served as the control, while 3 other groups were administered graded doses of paracetamol, then the other 3 groups were administered graded doses of paracetamol and 1600mg/kg of moringa extracts simultaneously. The animals were sacrificed 24 hours after the administration of last dose using anaesthesia. The testes and epididymis were harvested, while blood was obtained via ocular puncture. The moringa extract mitigated the paracetamol-induced dose-dependent decrease in sperm count and sperm morphology. Paracetamol toxicity on hormonal milieu was suppressed by the moringa extract treatment, yielding hormonal values closer to those obtained in the control group. The moringa extract treatment controlled the oxidative stress biomarkers as their values were not as variant when compared to the groups treated with paracetamol only. Hypospermatogenesis along with restoration of normal seminiferous tubules and interstitial spaces observed in the paracetamol-induced groups treated with moringa extracts indicates the ameliorative histological effect of moringa on paracetamol-induced testicular toxicity. Therefore, the use of moringa extract therapy reverses the damaging effects of paracetamol on the testis and male fertility.