Eugenol reduces serum testosterone levels and sperm viability in adult Wistar rats

Abstract

Eugenol is the main constituent of clove extract. It is a remarkably versatile molecule incorporated as a functional ingredient in several food products and widely applied in the pharmaceutical industry. Men consume natural products enriched with eugenol for treating sexual disorders and using as aphrodisiacs. Nevertheless, there is no information about the impact of eugenol intake on the reproductive parameters of healthy males. Therefore, we provided 10, 20, and 40 mg kg-1 pure eugenol to adult Wistar rats for 60 days. Testis, epididymis, and spermatozoa were analyzed under microscopic, biochemical, and functional approaches. This phenolic compound did not alter testicular and epididymal biometry and microscopy. However, 20 and 40 mg kg-1 eugenol reduced serum testosterone levels. The highest dose altered lactate and glucose concentrations in the epididymis. All the eugenol concentrations diminished CAT activity and MDA levels in the testis and increased FRAP and CAT activity in the epididymis. Epididymal sperm from rats receiving 10, 20, and 40 mg kg-1 eugenol presented high Ca2+ ATPase activity and low motility. In conclusion, eugenol at low and high doses negatively impacted the competence of epididymal sperm and modified oxidative parameters in male organs, with no influence on their microscopy.