Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on sperm quality, serum testosterone concentration and histometric analysis of testes from adult Wistar rats

Ginkgo biloba extract is a widely consumed phytotherapic used mainly in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and it has also been employed to treat erectile dysfunction and as an aphrodisiac. This work was aimed at evaluating its effect on sperm quality, serum testosterone concentration and on the histometric analysis of the testes from adult male Wistar rats. Three-month-old Wistar rats were treated with distilled water (control group) and the aqueous extract of Ginkgo biloba at the dose levels of 3.5 (GBE 3.5); 7.0 (GBE 7.0) and 14.0 mg/kg (GBE 14.0), once daily, for 56 consecutive days. Counting and morphological evaluation of sperm collected from cauda epidydimis were analyzed. Histometric measures of the testes were also taken. This work shows that adult Wistar rats exposed to Ginkgo biloba presented histometric alteration in the volume of the Leydig cells and this finding suggests a possible functional deficit in these cells.   Key words: Ginkgo biloba, phytotherapy, rats, sperm, testes, toxicity.