The impact of Rumex vesicarius seed water extracts on mice fertility

Abstract

Rumex vesicarius (RV) is an edible wild annual plant, and it is reported that it contains a good source of minerals, protein, and ascorbic acid. Several studies have indicated the anti-liver damage, anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of the RV plant. There are currently no reports regarding the effect of RV on fertility. Therefore, this study focuses on the impact of RV water seed extracts on mice fertility. RV plants were collected, and water seed extracts were prepared; 50 mg/kg body weight (BW) of this was then injected into the mice (male and female) using an oral feeding tube 5 days before mating (group I) or during caging of the females with the males for 1 week to detect their fertility rate. In the different female groups, no significant difference between their BW and their newborn's BW in the treated and control groups was found. Female fertility, pregnancy, and offspring rates showed some variation within each female group and between the different female groups. In comparing the fertility and offspring rate between the different groups, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between groups I and III females and between groups I and IV females, while the other groups showed no significant differences. In contrast, the other groups showed no significant differences. Regarding the impact of the water seed extract on males, the BW was approximately the same in control and treated males.

Keywords: Fertility; Mice; Rumex vesicarius; Seed extracts.

Fig. 1

a, b, c, and d Section picture of mice ovaries treated with Rumex Vesicarius (RV) water seed extract before mating (group I), during mating (group II), and early pregnancy (group III) and late pregnancy (group IV) (10×10 magnification); PF, primordial follicle; PrF, primary follicle; SF, secondary follicle; TF, tertiary follicle; GF, Graafian follicle; CL, corpus luteum; O, oocytes; OS, ovary stoma

Fig. 2

a, b, c, and d Transfer section (TS) picture of mice testes treated with Rumex Vesicarius (RV) water seed extract 50ul/gm./BWT (a and b), compared with the control male (c and d); ST, seminiferous tubules; IST, interstitial tissue; LST, lumen of the seminiferous tubules with different type of spermatogenesis of cell; Sg, spermatogonia; Ps, primary spermatocytes; Ss, secondary spermatocytes; Sp, sprematides; S, sperms. a and b T.S. mice tests treated with RV water seed extract (a 10×10 and b 10×20 magnification). c and d T.S. of control mice tests (c 10×10 and d 10×40 magnification)