Abstract

The use of the salep plant as a fortifying agent and sexual energy is common in traditional medicine. However, the unavailability of sufficient scientific evidence on the effects of sex hormones on the testis and the survey was designed and implemented. In this experimental study, 18 male rats breed immature BALB/C (mean age 4 weeks) were selected and divided randomly into three groups: 1) Control (no feeding), 2) Placebo (receiving 200 μl of distilled water), and 3) experimental (receiving 200 μl distilled water containing 40 mg of salep extract). Two weeks after the last injection, blood sampling to investigate the testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were done and mice’ testes were also removed for histological studies. The average animal weight, testicular weight, volume and diameter of seminiferous tubules and also the number of Spermatogonia, Primary Spermatocyte, Spermatid, mature sperm (in Pachytene stage), Sertoli and Leydig cells between different groups were determined. Statistical analyses were done by using ANOVA and Tukey’ test. Injection of aqueous salep extract significantly increased the levels of LH and testosterone hormones and also Spermatogonia, Spermatocyte1, Spermatid, mature sperm and Leydig cells in the experimental group rather than in the placebo group was evaluated. Some parameters such as the animal and testicular weight, the volume and diameter of seminiferous tubules, the number of Sertoli cells and the amount of the FSH hormone, did not show significant changes. One week injection of aqueous salep extract increases the LH and testosterone hormones, which can be effective on spermatogenesis cycle as well as sperm production and would be proposed as a booster drug of sexual activities.

Key words: Aqueous salep extract, sexual hormones, testis tissue, immature male mice Balb/c.