Anti-hyperglycemic Effect of Gynura procumbens Methanolic Extract on Fertility and Libido of Induced Diabetic Male Rats

Gynura procumbens (GP) is a type of herbal plant used to treat numerous types of diseases such as rheumatoid, hypertension, kidney failure as well as diabetes. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases and one of its complication is infertility and libido problems among male patients. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of GP extract in enhancing fertility and libido among diabetic patients. Ethyl acetate fraction of GP methanol extract was used. Diabetic inductions were carried out using 55 mg/kg Streptozotocin via intravein injection. Four groups of diabetic induced rats were treated with 50 mg/kg GP extract (n=12), 300 mg/kg GP extract (n=12) and 300 mg/kg metformin (n=12), respectively. The fourth diabetic group acted as negative control (without treatment) and one normal group was given distilled water acted as control normal group (n=12). Each of these groups underwent sexual behavioral tests prior to being sacrificed for fertility test. Six rats from each of these groups were sacrificed after one week while the rest were sacrificed after two weeks of treatment. All doses of GP exhibited anti-hyperglycemia similar as to metformin. Treatment with low dose GP (50 mg/kg) for two weeks produced the highest number of sperm count (35.52 +/- 6.54)x10(6) in comparison with diabetic control group (23.72 +/- 5.12)x10(6). Most of the sperm motility for this group was in grade a (most progressive) with 38.41% while for diabetic control group, only 12.79%. The mounting latency for diabetic rats treated with GP decreases while the mounting frequency increases significantly in comparison with the diabetic control group suggesting that GP extract possesses aphrodisiac effect. These results showed that ethyl acetate fraction of GP methanol extract enhances the fertility and libido of diabetic rats efficiently even at low dose (50 mg/kg) in a short period of time.