Biotechnological

Communication

Biosci. Biotech. Res. Comm. 9(4): 828-832 (2016)

Effect of

Allium sepa

seed extract on body and

testicular weight, mature gametes and parietal cells

of male rats

Hosseini Ahar, N.

* and Sa , SH.

Young Researchersand EliteClub, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

Department of Clinical sciences , Faculty of Veterinary Specialized Sciences, Science and Research Branch,

Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

ABSTRACT

Allium cepa has been used throughout history as a medicinal drug. It has many compounds mostly contain a sulfu-

ric content such as Alicin, Di-alkyl Di-sul de (DAS), that caused antioxidant and protective properties. The present

study examined body weight and testicular weight and spermatogenesis in mice. All these reactions were performed

by using Allium cepa. This study was conducted on 10 adult male rats, ranging from 6 to 8 weeks. Animals were

divided in to two groups, a control group and the experimental group that received Allium cepa (0.5 cc) for a period

of 30 days. After 30 days, the rats were weighted and after anesthesia, their testes were taken out and tissue dissec-

tions were obtained. T-test was applied for statistical analysis. The results show that the body and testis weight and

spermatogenesis increased in the rats. This study shows the anti-oxidant characteristics of Allium cepa, and also its

effect on reducing harmful metabolites. It seems that using it in infertile patients has bene cial effects.

KEY WORDS: ANTIOXIDANT,

ALLIUM CEPA

, MATURE GAMETES, PARIETAL CELLS, BODY WEIGHT, TESTICULAR WEIGHT.

828

ARTICLE INFORMATION:

*Corresponding Author: shirazia@tums.ac.ir

Received 3

Aug, 2016

Accepted after revision 19

Nov, 2016

BBRC Print ISSN: 0974-6455

Online ISSN: 2321-4007

Thomson Reuters ISI ESC and Crossref Indexed Journal

NAAS Journal Score 2015: 3.48 Cosmos IF : 4.006

reserved.

Online Contents Available at: http//www.bbrc.in/

INTRODUCTION

Onion (Allium cepa) is one of the most commonly culti-

vated species of the family Liliaceae, and has long been

used in dietary and therapeutic applications. Onions

such as Allium cepa are rich in two chemical groups

that have perceived bene ts to human health. These

are the  avonoids such as quercetin and the alkenyl

cysteine sulphoxides (ACSOs). Allium cepa has been

reported to have medicinal potentials. Compounds iso-

lated from onions have been shown to possess anti-

carcinogenic, hypolipidaemic, antithrombotic, antiasth-

Hosseini Ahar and Sa

matic, antibacterial and antifungal properties .A number

of varieties of A. cepa are available commercially with

varietal differences in phytoconstituents and biological

activities. Studies have also documented the antioxidant

value ofA. cepa. Research has shown that onion con-

tains exogenous and endogenous antioxidants such as

selenium, glutathione, vitamins A, B, and C, and  avo-

noids such as quercetin and isorhamnetin. The antioxi-

dant effect ofA. cepa has been associated with reduced

lipid peroxidation index malondialdehyde (MDA) and

increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), (Ige et al, 2011,

Guercio et al., 2014 and Kumar et al 2016).

It also protects DNA and other important molecules

from oxidation and damages, and could improve sperm

health parameters, increasing the rate of fertility in men

(Rajeev and Narmada, 2006; Yang et al. 2006 ).

Both

ACE (Allium cepa extract) and QCT (component querce-

tin) have broad ranging pharmacological effects, par-

ticularly free radical scavenging properties, that protect

against oxidative injury, due to their ability to modu-

late intracellular signals and promote cell survival (Dai

et al, 2013).

Compounds from onion have been reported

to have a range of health bene ts which include anticar-

cinogenic properties, antiplatelet activity, antithrombotic

activity, antiasthmatic and antibiotic effects (Grif ths

et al, 2002). Recent epidemiological data provides robust

evidence that consumption of onions reduces the risk

of gastric cancer (Guercio et al., 2014). Previous stud-

ies have also shown that A. cepa antagonizes the toxic

effects of AlCl

and improves the antioxidant status and

sperm quality of male rats, (Ige and Akhigbe,2012).

Pre-treatment of rat with Allium cepa extract pre-

vented CdSO

–induced reproductive toxicity by improv-

ing sperm quality and enhancing testicular lipid per-

oxidation status (Ige et al, 2012).

onion and garlic

supplementation enhances semen quality characteristics

in Hubbard white breeder broiler cocks (Okoro et al,

2015). The present study reports the antioxidant effect

and possible role of Allium cepa extract on spermato-

genesis parameters such as body weight, testes weight,

mature gametes and parietal cells in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The experiment was carried out with 10 male Wistar

rats (6-8 months and 200±20g body weight) and ran-

domly divided into two groups. They were housed in a

temperature controlled room (25-30°C) with 12-h light

and 12-h dark cycles with free access to water and food

in cages placed in Animal Husbandry. All animals were

treated in accordance with the Principles of Laboratory

Animal Care. The rats randomly divided into two experi-

mental and control groups. Onion (Allium cepa) seeds

were bought from local market in Tehran City of Iran.

Seeds (100g) were washed and dried, and were extracted

with 80% methanol in Soxhlet apparatus for 72 h. After

extraction, the solvent was  ltered and then evapo-

rated by rotatory evaporator and dried (Eidi et al,2006 ;

Swami et al,2008).

The rats were fed normal diets and divided into 2

groups, each with  ve rats. A total of 10 rats were used.

Group one served as the control group and just received

an equal volume of distilled water daily with no extract.

Groups 2 received 0.5 mg/kg body weight of the extract.

They were observed daily for any observable change.

At the end of the treatment period (30

day), the rats

were weighed and anesthetized using intra peritoneal

pentobarbital sodium (40mg/kg), then killed. The peri-

toneal cavity was opened through a lower transverse

abdominal incision. Testes in control and experimental

groups were immediately removed and  xed by perfu-

sion with 4% formaldehyde in buffered solution for 20

minutes and afterwards their left testes were taken out

and weighed.( AD GF600, Germany).

Testes were  xed in 10% formal saline, blocks embed-

ded in paraf n and sections cut at 5 micron which

was then stained with H&E and mounted. Microscopic

examination of the sections was then carried out under

a light microscope.All experimental data are presented

as means± SD. Each experiment was performed at least

three times and subjected to statistical analysis. For sta-

tistical analysis, analysis of variance was performed to

determine whether there were differences among two

groups (P < 0.05). P value below 0.05 was considered

signi cant.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The obtained results in this study were illustrated in

table 1. There was no signi cant difference in body

weights between two groups, although (P<0.465). Tes-

tis weight was increased signi cantly in experimental

group in comparison with the control group (p<0.009).

Comparative study of samples from the two groups

showed that administration of A. cepa (0.5 mg/kg for

30 days) led to signi cant increase in mature gametes.

Experimental animals showed signi cant increase in

parietal cells comparing to normal control (table 1).

After about 4 weeks of treatment, control rats showed

normal morphology of seminiferous tubules. Treat-

ments with Allium cepa extract at doses of 0.5 mg/kg

induced signi cant changes in the seminiferous tubules.

The histological features of the experimental group can

increase the inner diameter of the tubules and the num-

ber of mature gametes.

In this study, the use of morphological and mor-

phometric methods were performed to determine body

and testes weight and different classes of gametes from

BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS THE EFFECT OF

ALLIUM CEPA

SEED EXTRACT 829

Hosseini Ahar and Sa

control and experimental groups. It was tried to assess

possible effects of onion extracts on the process of sper-

matogenesis. As shown in Table 1, this study showed

that A. cepa extract has signi cant effect on mature

gametes and parietal cells. Furthermore, it affected the

body weight and testis weight in experimental group in

comparison with the control group. Onion contains a

wide variety of phytochemicals and micro constituents

such as trace elements, vitamins, fructans,  avonoids,

and sulphur compounds, which may have a protective

effect against free radicals. Recently, much attention has

been focused on the protective effects of onion against

colon cancers in rats (Ola-Mudathir et al, 2008; Prasad

and Oberleas, 1973). Some unique properties of onion

such as antilipidaemic and antioxidant potentials have

been studied (Corzo-Martinez et al, 2007; Lewin and

Popov, 1994; Prasad, 1996). Many studies were done to

shows Onion peels exhibited strong antioxidant activity

and abundant phytochemicals (Duan et al, 2015)

and to

elucidate their mechanism of action (Rahman and Bil-

lington, 2000; Lau, 2001; Dillon et al, 2003). signi cant

remedy effect on sperm parameters and also increase

in the number of leydig cells was showed (Khaki et al,

2016).

Several factors have effect on very sensitive and

complex process named spermatogenesis, and Lead to

infertility or reduced fertility (Hosseini et al, 2014).

The

present results clearly indicate that Allium cepa has a

good effect on spermatogenesis in rats. The biologi-

cal activity of an extract of onion or garlic depends on

its mode of preparation (Shashikanth et al, 1986; Klei-

jnen, 1989; Corzo-Martinez et al, 2007). In the present

study, the alcohol extract of onion was separately pre-

pared. Quercetin, as a natural antioxidant, is ubiqui-

tously distributed in fruits and vegetables. Onion is a

rich source of quercetin (McAnlis et al, 1999). Previous

study found that  avonoid quercetin and daizein have

protective effects on cadmium or polychlorinated biphe-

nyls-induced oxidative damage in mice testes (Zhang

et al, 2008; Bu et al, 2011). Studies showed that C, E, and

B vitamins are useful in reducing the poisonous effects

on tissue of the testes (Yang et al, 2006) Allium cepa

Table 1: Body weight, Testis weight, mature gametes and Parietal cells of control and experimental groups.

Variables

groups

N. Body weight(g) Testis weight(g)* Mature gametes* Parietal cells(mm)3*

Control 5 301±22.47 1.45±0.1 98.6±8.96 197.8±2.77

Extract 5 307.49.94 1.95±0.16 168.4±18.87 315.6±13.93

*: p<0/05

FIGURE 1. Testes from control group (A) and extract group (B).H&E.(×640) The role of Allium cepaon

aluminum-induced reproductive dysfunction in experimental male rat models.

830 THE EFFECT OF

ALLIUM CEPA

SEED EXTRACT BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Hosseini Ahar and Sa

could prescribed as an effective pharmacological supple-

ment to moderate exposure degenerative effects (khaki

et al, 2016). Structure-activity relationships of querce-

tin were investigated (Cao et al, 1997 ). The antioxidant

activities of quercetin may depend upon its hydroxyl

groups. It is supposed that  avonoids prevent the pro-

gression of the radical chain reaction by trapping free

radicals at the interface of the membranes (Ross et al,

2002). In addition to its free-radical scavenging proper-

ties, quercetin can also chelate those transition metal

ions responsible for the generation of reactive oxygen

species (Rice-Evans et al,1996). The neuroprotective

potential of Allium cepa was seen that might be due

to the PPAR agonistic action pertaining to its  avonoi-

dal content (Singh and Goel, 2015).

CONCLUSION

The present study provides detailed information on the

effects of Alluim cepa extract on testis weight, body

weight, mature gametes and Parietal cells count. Mor-

phometric results obtained from this study showed that

the administration of A.cepa extract also in uences the

seminiferous tubules, cell proliferation and spermato-

genesis in the experimental group compared to control

group. Onion with rich compounds may be useful for

inclusion in the diets of those who are suffering from

sexual disorders and can be effective in relieving dis-

ability.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by Young Researchers and

Elite Club,Islamic azad University ,Karaj Branch, Iran.

The code of this research protocol was “92341”.

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