ABSTRACT This 21-day study investigated the effects of ethanolic leaf extract of Ficus mucuso on haematological parameters and male fertility in albino Wistar rat. The extract was subjected to phytochemical screening tests prior to its administration to three groups of fifteen matured male rats, respectively. Groups 2 and 3 received 500 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg body weight of Ficus mucuso leaf extract, respectively, while Group 1 (Control) received 0.9% physiological saline. After the treatment period, the rats were sacrificed for blood/semen sample collection and laboratory analysis. Haematological parameters were assessed using an automated cell counter, while sperm morphology, motility, and count were analyzed following standard protocols. Phytochemical screening results verified the presence of alkaloids, tannins, phenols, saponins and flavonoids in the Ficus mucuso extract, while results from laboratory analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the hematological parameters across all the groups. However, there were adverse effects on sperm morphology, count, and motility across the text groups compared to control, suggesting potential reproductive toxicity; hence the need for further studies to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, long-term effects, and potential reversibility of these reproductive alterations.
Konyefom et al. (Mon,) studied this question.