Abstract
Diosgenin and taurine are two bioactive chemicals that get high attention in recent decades because it is claimed as an antioxidant, antidiabetic, and pro fertility. The study aimed to investigate the effect of the two substances when used in combination against diabetes-related infertility in male mice. By using completely randomized design, 35 Swiss albino male mice divided into 7 groups (n=5). Group 1 treated with distilled water as normal control. Group 2 receive only alloxan as diabetic control. Group 3 only fed diosgenin 20% as diosgenin control. Group 4 treated with alloxan and diosgenin 20%. Group 5 receive alloxan and diosgenin 30%. Group 6 treated with alloxan and taurine. Group 7 treated with alloxan, diosgenin 20% and taurine. Treatments were given intraperitoneally once daily for 14 days. The parameters assessed including blood glucose levels, body and testis weight, spermatogenic cells counts, sperm counts as well as sperm motility and viablity. The results showed crude diosgenin extract from C.speciosus in normal mice lowers the number of spermatogonia,spermatocytes and spermatids cells in addition to decrease sperm motility. In alloxan-induced mice, diosgenin ameliorates the blood glucose levels but noteffective in normalization of the testicular parameters of the animals. Taurine, on the contrary, waseffective both to cope with the blood parameters and testicular disorders in alloxan-induced mice. Application of diosgenin combined with taurine in alloxan-induced mice, at the end of treatment,most effective in lowering blood glucose levels compared with other treatment but shows little contribution in normalization testicular parameters. Thus, it can be concluded that crude diosgenin extract from C.speciosus even though combined with taurine has little effect on testicular disorders in alloxan-induced diabetic mice in comparison to the application of taurine alone. Keywords: Diosgenin, Costus speciosus, Pacing, Diabetes, Taurine, Alloxan.
Highlights
Ostus speciosus is the scientific name of crepe ginger, which in Indonesia is called pacing, is one among the genus Costus that widely cultivated as ornamental plant in the country
The results of the study confirms the effectiveness of the use of alloxan—in the sense of the easiest, reliable and the most practicable method, in inducing diabetes in laboratory rodents[18]
In this study the alloxan induction manage to maintain blood glucose levels up to 309 mg/dL (153.5mg/dL in normal mice), while in a previous study reported by Shetti et al.[19] alloxan induction succesfully maintained the blood glucose levels more than 352 mg/dL
Summary
Ostus speciosus is the scientific name of crepe ginger, which in Indonesia is called pacing, is one among the genus Costus that widely cultivated as ornamental plant in the country. Crepe ginger currently getting higher reputation, due to some studies have showed indications of anti-diabetic effects of this plant. In alloxan-induced diabetic rats, for example, crepe ginger plant extract possesses anti-hyperglycemic, antihyperlipemic and antioxidative effects[4] and shows significant reduction in blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, blood urea, serum uric acid, serum creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, phospholipids, LDL, VLDL, and increase in liver glycogen, insulin and lactate dehydrogenase[5]. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, for another example, C. speciosus extract 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight induced a decrease in blood glucose and an increase in serum insulin level, glucokinase, aldolase, pyruvate kinase, succinate dehydrogenase, and glycogen synthase activities[6]. The functional significance of taurine including cytoprotective, cell development, nutrition and survival[13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call