Phytotherapy in reducing glycemic index and testicular oxidative stress resulting from induced diabetes: a review

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays a main role in the development of diabetes complications. The impairment of gonadal antioxidant potential and endocrine disturbance in diabetic males causes testicular damage and failure in sperm production. Plants have been widely used to control diabetes due their hypoglycemic and antioxidant potential, contributing towards the recovery of testicular function. Current study comprises a review of the literature on the main medicinal plants used in the recovery of testicular oxidative damage in animals with experimental diabetes. Eighteen plant species in the nineteen studies selected from the search strategy were evaluated. Plant extracts were evaluated according to their effects on blood glucose and insulin levels, antioxidant enzymes and oxidant levels, lipid peroxidation, total protein, testosterone levels, gonadosomatic index, diameter of seminiferous tubules, seminiferous epithelium height and integrity, number of germ cells at stage VII and apoptosis in the seminiferous epithelium, sperm production, motility, viability and morphology. After the analysis of the studies, it was observed that plant species, used alone or in combination, may control testicular oxidative damage triggered by diabetes. The antioxidant potential varies among species, with some plants proving to have a better performance in the recovery of reproduction parameters than others.Keywords: testis, medicinal plants, antioxidants, spermatogenesis. Fitoterapia na redução da glicemia e do estresse oxidativo testicular resultantes do diabetes experimental: uma revisãoResumo O estresse oxidativo desempenha um dos principais papéis no desenvolvimento das complicações do diabetes. Em machos diabéticos, as alterações ao potencial antioxidante gonadal e os distúrbios endócrinos resultam em danos testiculares e falhas na produção de espermatozoides. Plantas têm sido amplamente utilizadas como um método de controle do diabetes devido aos seus potenciais hipoglicemiante e antioxidante, contribuindo para a recuperação da função testicular. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo é fazer uma revisão da literatura sobre as principais plantas medicinais utilizadas na recuperação de danos oxidativos testiculares em animais induzidos ao diabetes experimental. Nos dezenove estudos selecionados a partir da estratégia de busca, dezoito espécies de plantas foram utilizadas. Os extratos das espécies vegetais foram avaliados de acordo com os seus efeitos nas concentrações de glicose e insulina, níveis das enzimas antioxidantes e dos oxidantes, peroxidação lipídica, quantidade de proteínas totais, níveis de testosterona, índice gonadossomático, diâmetro dos túbulos seminíferos, altura e integridade do epitélio seminífero, número de células germinativas no estágio VII, número de células em apoptose no epitélio seminífero, produção, motilidade, viabilidade e morfologia espermática. Depois das análises aos estudos, foi observado que as espécies vegetais, sozinhas ou em combinação, podem ajudar a controlar os danos oxidativos testiculares dese...

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