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IT is the season of the African cherry locally known as ‘agbalumo’. For those who still have not started actively consuming this wonderful fruit, experts say it is amazing for boosting fertility and libido in men with hypertension and diabetes.
In a new study, researchers said that intake of Chrysophyllum albidum fruit pulp (FP) can help to reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Furthermore, it improves sperm quality by increasing sperm count, and sperm motility with a concomitant reduction in sperm abnormality.
In various parts of the world, fruits are widely consumed and fruit consumption is usually suggested for managing or preventing a wide range of common diseases in humans which include cancer, arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, among others.
Fruits are good sources of natural antioxidant, which helps to protect against a number of diseases, by scavenging free radicals and are implicated in the pathogenesis of human diseases. One such indigenous fruit is Chrysophyllum albidum, also known as the African star apple fruit.
It is called utieagadava in Urhobo, agbalumo in Yoruba, udala in Ibo, Efik and Ibibio, ehya in Igala and agwaluma among the Hausa people.
In folkloric medicine, its bark is very useful in treating yellow fever and malaria. Also, the leaves have been used in treating diarrhea and stomach ache, and have been used as an emollient. The leaves, barks, and roots are commonly applied to treat wounds, bruises, and sprains in the southern region of Nigeria.
The seed and root extracts are used to stop bleeding from fresh wounds and it helps to inhibit microbial growth of known wound contaminants, thereby enhancing the healing process.
The fruit pulp can be taken in different forms. While it can be consumed fresh, it can also be processed commercially into several forms, such as soft drinks, jellies, and stewed fruit. It has been shown that the African star apple fruit pulp has the highest vitamin C content of all edible fruits.
Researchers looked at the effect of a diet supplemented with African star apple fruit pulp on sperm parameters, reproductive hormones, and antioxidant markers in the testes and epididymis of hypertensive rats.
Wistar rats were divided into seven groups; the cyclosporine-induced hypertensive rats and those with normal blood pressure treated with 2% and 4% of a diet supplemented with African star apple fruit pulp [FP]. Tests were done to assess their arterial, diastolic, and systolic pressure, including sperm health and quality.
The 2022 study entitled “Diet Supplemented with Chrysophyllum albidum G. Don (Sapotaceae) Fruit Pulp Improves Reproductive Function in Hypertensive Male Rats” in the journal, Reproductive Sciences involved Seun F. Akomolafe at the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti in collaboration with Tosin A. Olasehinde, Iyabo F. Oladapo & Sunday I. Oyeleye.
The inclusion of African cherry also increased reproductive hormones like testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Besides, it reduced reductive oxidative stress levels and improved sexual function in cyclosporine-induced hypertensive rats by reducing blood pressure and modulation of sperm parameters and steroidogenic enzymes.
Sperm health and quality are important for fertility because sperm need to swim through the female reproductive tract and fertilise the egg for a pregnancy to occur. The more abnormal or dysfunctional the sperm is, the less likely this is to occur, and therefore the likelihood of a conception decreases.
On the other hand, some medications like steroids, testosterone, or other hormone therapies used in men cause or exacerbate hypertension, and affect sperm production, which can affect male fertility.
Also, studies showed that hypertension appears to lead to an imbalance of hormones and changes in the network of blood vessels that carry blood to the gonads. In males, this network includes the testicular vein.
Previously, a group of researchers including Dr Seun F. Akomolafe at the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti had suggested that a diet supplemented with African star apple might be an active approach to controlling male reproductive dysfunction caused by diabetes. It was in the 2019 edition of the Journal of Biochemistry.
In diabetic male rats served with diets having African star apple, there was a noticeable increase in sperm parameters, reproductive hormone, glycogen and nitric oxide. Also, a concomitant increase in cholesterol and reactive oxygen species was observed compared to the control.
Cholesterol is widely recognized as a necessary antecedent for testosterone production which in an actual sense is responsible for sustaining the normal actions of the male reproductive system.
Diabetes affects male reproduction in four conditions, including erectile dysfunction (difficulty getting/keeping an erection), ejaculation (reaching orgasm either too quickly, too slowly or not at all), structural changes in reproductive organs, and changes in the semen quality. Studies have found that 59% of diabetic men have erectile dysfunction.
Also, reports indicate that the African star apple is an excellent source of dietary fibre. As a result, consuming this fruit helps to increase satiety thus reducing food cravings and maintaining a balanced weight.
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