The effects of dietary restriction and administration of β-glucan from Euglena gracilis on the sperm characteristics and reproductive organs of rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the possible individual and/or synergistic effects of -glucan and dietary restrictions on the reproductive parameters of rats. For this purpose, forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four equal groups (n=10 per group). The first group was the control, the second group was kept under dietary restriction (DR), the third group was kept under a dietary restriction and given -glucan (DR+G) and the fourth group was supplemented only with -glucan (G; 20mg/kg) intragastrically for 14days. Motility, vitality and morphology of spermatozoa, reproductive organ weights (testis, vesicula seminalis and epididymis) and seminiferous tubule diameters were evaluated in experimental rats. -glucan had excellent effects on motility, live spermatozoa rate and the acrosome integrity when compared to the control group (p<0.05). We also observed that -glucan administration to rats having dietary restriction could improve sperm motility and acrosome integrity (p<0.05). While the -glucan improved seminiferous tubule diameter (p<0.05), weights of the reproductive organs did not change positively as a result. This study demonstrated that -glucan treatment significantly improved some spermatological characteristics in rats. Therefore, treatment with -glucan could be used for its positive effects on motility, spermatozoa vitality rate and acrosome integrity for infertile men.