Effect of Various Chromatographic Fractions of Neem Seed Oil on Sperm Dynamics and Testicular Cell Population Dynamics of Male Albino Rats

Figures & data

Table 1  Proportion of ethyl alcohol and hexane in different chromatographic fractions of neem seed oil.

Fraction	Amount of EtOH (%)	Amount of hexane (%)	Weight of the fraction 9
I	0	100	2.232
II	7	93	2.438
III	20	80	4.680
IV	30	70	7.128
V	80	20	2.844
VI	100	0	1.44

Table 2  Body and organ weights of rats treated with neem seed oil and its various chromatographic fractions (mean ± SEM).

	Body weight (g)	Testes (mg/100 g body weight)	Epididymis (mg/100 g body weight)	Seminal vesicle (mg/100 g body weight)	Ventral prostate (mg/100 g body weight)
Treatment groups	Initial	Final
Intact control (Gr. 1)	168 ± 38.17	184 ± 39.51	1303.3 ± 85.2	498 ± 37.11	578 ± 4.11	237.37 ± 10.98
Neem seed oil treated (Gr. 2)	154 ± 15.3	164 ± 21.2	1007 ± 77.04	425.3 ± 32.92	412.51 ± 36.94^a	240.86 ± 16.62
Neem seed oil fraction I treated (Gr. 3)	158 ± 23.54	217 ± 18.7	769.47 ± 14.5^a	283.2 ± 28.8^a	313.02 ± 34.49^a	184.68 ± 22.37^a
Neem seed oil fraction II treated (Gr. 4)	210 ± 21.4	266 ± 12.55	765.18 ± 12.94^a	330.11 ± 39.8^a	343.02 ± 34.25^a	175.59 ± 15.3^a
Neem seed oil fraction III treated (Gr. 5)	180 ± 25.55	180 ± 15.4	599.0 ± 136.4^a	209.48 ± 35.1^a	228.43 ± 31.9^a	89.41 ± 13.4^a
Neem seed oil fraction IV treated (Gr. 6)	155 ± 13.3	211 ± 18.9	577 ± 81.81^a	241.8 ± 33.11^a	198.17 ± 36.73^a	88.33 ± 5.40^a
Neem seed oil fraction V treated (Gr. 7)	260 ± 25.3	300 ± 15.5	826.16 ± 81.8^a	347.75 ± 39.8^a	390.0 ± 32.0	249.6 ± 14.18
Neem seed oil fraction VI treated (Gr. 8)	270 ± 22.4	310 ± 19	892.32 ± 20.67^a	369.99 ± 10.0^a	460.94 ± 38.95	214.98 ± 15.1

^ap < 0.01, compared with controls.

Table 3  Sperm dynamics and fertility test of rats treated with neem seed oil and its chromatographic fractions (mean ± SEM).

	Sperm density (million/mL)		Sperm motility (%)	Fertility test (%)
Treatment groups	Testis	Cauda
Intact control (Gr. 1)	3.77 ± 0.41	49.67 ± 3.61	79.20 ± 4.16	100 (+)
Neem seed oil treated (Gr. 2)	0.76 ± 0.02^a	4.08 ± 1.43^a	12.50 ± 3.74^a	100 (−)
Neem seed oil fraction I treated (Gr. 3)	2.03 ± 0.45	28.80 ± 10.17	78.65 ± 0.32	90 (+)
Neem seed oil fraction II treated (Gr. 4)	2.94 ± 0.539	36.98 ± 3.32	70.87 ± 13.44	80 (+)
Neem seed oil fraction III treated (Gr. 5)	1.65 ± 0.39^a	19.53 ± 7.67^a	9.11 ± 1.04^a	100 (−)
Neem seed oil fraction IV treated (Gr. 6)	1.64 ± 0.60^a	3.63 ± 1.7^a	Nil	100 (−)
Neem seed oil fraction V treated (Gr. 7)	2.89 ± 0.08	14.4 ± 4.11^a	36.02 ± 1.7^a	80 (+)
Neem seed oil fraction VI treated (Gr. 8)	2.14 ± 0.24	16.54 ± 2.29^a	27.28 ± 1.04^a	90 (+)

^ap < 0.01, compared with controls.

Table 4  Testicular cell population dynamics of rats treated with neem seed oil and its chromatographic fractions (mean ± SEM).

	Germinal cell types				Interstitial cell types
Treatment groups	Spermatogonia	Spermatocytes, primary	Spermatocytes, secondary	Spermatids	Fibroblast	Immature Leydig cell	Mature Leydig cell	Degenerating cells
Intact control (Gr. 1)	25.01 ± 0.72	19.62 ± 0.71	67.21 ± 2.51	150.12 ± 3.89	60.12 ± 0.64	50.23 ± 2.31	71.24 ± 1.06	18.41 ± 1.69
Neem seed oil treated (Gr. 2)	8.45 ± 0.61^a	9.51 ± 1.03^a	3.76 ± 0.21^a	18.74 ± 0.76^a	59.12 ± 0.32	30.01 ± 1.17^a	17.33 ± 2.01^a	93.61 ± 1.01^a
Neem seed oil fraction I treated (Gr. 3)	20.13 ± 1.04	16.82 ± 0.78	52.01 ± 1.86^a	82.01 ± 1.62^a	60.01 ± 0.86	48.01 ± 1.81	68.15 ± 3.01	23.85 ± 2.01
Neem seed oil fraction II treated (Gr. 4)	24.12 ± 1.62	18.60 ± 1.69	56.61 ± 0.91^a	102.01± 3.16^a	58.32 ± 0.75	55.01 ± 0.76	38.01 ± 1.07^a	49.01 ± 1.76^a
Neem seed oil fraction III treated (Gr. 5)	6.45 ± 0.96^a	8.32 ± 1.01^a	5.06 ± 0.32^a	23.1 ± 0.76^a	60.67 ± 0.75	46.23 ± 0.78	12.01 ± 0.90^a	81.12 ± 1.49^a
Neem seed oil fraction IV treated (Gr. 6)	7.64 ± 1.06^a	6.34 ± 1.34^a	6.44 ± 0.16^a	24.06 ± 1.60^a	58.07 ± 0.82	49.01 ± 1.89	12.81 ± 0.69^a	80.16 ± 2.01
Neem seed oil fraction V treated (Gr. 7)	23.61 ± 1.51	15.76 ± 2.63	51.68 ± 2.76^a	96.92 ± 3.96^a	59.67 ± 0.92	46.23 ± 3.03	70.01 ± 0.98^a	25.06 ± 2.01
Neem seed oil fraction VI treated (Gr. 8)	20.56 ± 1.61	17.98 ± 0.63	60.16 ± 2.01^a	99.66 ± 3.81^a	59.0 ± 0.31	52.01 ± 1.68	63.01 ± 1.62^a	26.76 ± 1.93^a

^ap < 0.01, compared with controls.