The effects of rosemary, carob and stinging nettle plants in widely used in Turkey to the sperm functions parameters during in vitro conditions

Infertility is a prevalent condition affecting an estimated 9% of couples worldwide who fail to conceive and male factor contributes to 50% of the issues. Male infertility has a diversity of causes, ranging from genetic mutations to lifestyle choices to medical illnesses or medications. Recent studies demonstrate that spermatozoa are extremely vulnerable to oxidative stress. In spite of studies that claimed the beneficial effects of medical plants as antioxidant on sperm quality and fertility, only a few studies were addressed to evaluate their effects on spermatozoa in vitro conditions. Main aims of the present thesis study were to assess the influence of nettle (Urtica dioica L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and locust bean (Ceratonia siliqua L.) on human sperm parameters. Semen samples were obtained from forty normozoospermia patients who were admitted to Bahcelievler Medical Park Hospital. Semen samples were treated with nettle, rosemary and locust bean extracts 0.1%, 0.05% and 0.01% concentrations for 30 min, 1 and 24 hours. Semen parameters, including sperm motility and vitality were evaluated according to WHO criteria. Main results demonstrated that progressive sperm motility and vitality were enhanced in normozoospermia samples by in vitro treatment with nettle, rosemary and locust bean extracts. For progressive sperm motility, significant differences were observed at 30 min, 1 and 24 hours by treatment nettle and rosemary (p=0.001). Similarly, differences observed in different concentration of locust bean extracts were found to be statistically significant for 1 and 24 hours (p=0.01). Additionally, statistically significant differences in sperm vitality were observed at 24 hours by treatment nettle, rosemary and locust bean extracts. However, significant differences were also found to be at 1 hour by treatment locust bean extracts. According to the results, nettle, rosemary and locust bean may have a direct protective effect on human spermatozoa by enhancing progressive sperm motility and vitality.