Protective Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Achillea Millefolium on In-vitro Fertilization in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Male Mice

Diabetes is one of the determining factors in fertility that causes disturbances in spermatogenesis, ovulation and embryo formation. Achillea Millefolium (AM), as a medicinal plant with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is used to treat many diseases. This study aims to evaluate the protective effect of AM hydroalcoholic extract on sperm parameters and In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) rate in mice.

In this study, 40 mice were divided into five groups; control group, diabetic group, diabetic+low AM (receiving 37.5 mg/kg of AM extract daily), diabetic+moderate AM (receiving 75 mg.kg of AM extract daily) and diabetic+high AM (receiving 150 mg/kg of AM extract daily). After the 30-day treatment period, the mice were euthanized and the parameters of total sperm count, percentage of live sperms, percentage of immature sperms, percentage of sperms with damaged DNA, and IVF rate were evaluated. Statistical analysis was done by one-way analysis of variances and Tukey’s post hoc test.

The sperm count, percentage of live sperms, IVF rate, percentage of two-cell embryos, and percentage of blastocysts decreased significantly in the diabetic group compared to the control group. In all three groups received AM extract (37.5, 75, and 150 mg/kg), an increase in the number of sperms, percentage of live sperms, and the IVF rate was observed, but this increase was significant only in the diabetic group received 150 mg/kg AM extract compared to the control group. No significant difference was observed between the three groups received AM.

The AM hydroalcoholic extract can improve sperm parameters and IVF rate due to its antioxidant properties.