<span style="font-size: 19.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Impact of feeding ethanolic extracts of <i>Achyranthes aspera </i>Linn. on reproductive functions in male rats </span>

1307-1309<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">Feeding 50% ethanolic extract of A. aspera to male rats resulted in reduced sperm counts, weight of epididymis, serum level of testosterone and testicular activity of <span style="font-size:11.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:6.5pt; font-family:HiddenHorzOCR;mso-hansi-font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" hiddenhorzocr"="">3<span style="font-size:11.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:6.5pt; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:hiddenhorzocr"="">β<span style="font-size:11.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:6.5pt;font-family:HiddenHorzOCR; mso-hansi-font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:hiddenhorzocr"="">-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, while motility of the sperm and activity of the HMG CoA reductase were not affected. Cholesterol level in the testis, incorporation of labeled acetate into cholesterol, 17-ketosteroids in urine and hepatic and fecal bile acids were increased. The results suggest that ethanolic extract of A. aspera caused reproductive toxicity in male rats and the action may be by suppressing the synthesis of androgen. </span