Review of local herbal compounds found in the Iranian traditional medicine known to optimise male fertility

Abstract

The male reproductive function can be influenced by many different factors, including genetic, environmental and socioeconomic parameters leading to a progressive decline. However, the cause of infertility cannot be found in a significant proportion of couples, and even with the presence of the sign of testicular dysfunction or obstructive azoospermia, the main aetiology is not identified. In the absence of knowledge about predisposing factor, targeted therapeutic modalities for male infertility may not be possible, and a wide variety of empiric drug approaches, even with low scientific evidence, have been utilised in current conventional medicine. According to the recently updated reports of the European Association of Urology guidelines on male infertility, the implication of previous recommendations and complementary alternative medicine based on the old literature has been suggested to improve a multifaceted integrative therapeutic approach for this disease. We have reviewed the potential herbal active compounds optimising male fertility, according to the principles of Iranian traditional medicine.

Therapeutic Applications of Rose Hips from Different Rosa Species

“…The use of traditional medicine is still deep ingrained in some cultures even today; therefore thousands of people rely on the therapeutic potential of plants for treating certain diseases in their daily lives [76,77,78,79]. Benefits from of this kind of therapy are not unexpected, since natural products have always been an ample source of new medical compounds [80].…”

Effect of Thymoquinone on Reproductive Parameter in Morphine-treated Male Mice

“…The use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine is of great significance, and they have been used long before for the treatment of a number of diseases. [ 14 ] One of these plants is Nigella sativa Linn, an annual plant of Ranunculaceae family, which is the natural flora of Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southwestern Asia. The seeds of this plant contain oil, protein, alkaloids such as ni–glycine and ni–glydine, and quinones such as thymoquinone, saponin, and volatile essence.…”

Comparative evaluation of the effects ofWithania somniferawith pentoxifylline on the sperm parameters in idiopathic male infertility: A triple-blind randomised clinical trial

“…PM researchers have proposed specific treatment strategies for these disorders. Among these strategies, the use of medicinal plants is of interest because of their positive effects on organs such as the heart, brain and testes and their favourable side effect profile (Nejatbakhsh, Shirbeigi, Rahimi, & Abolhassani, ).…”