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Several therapeutic effects have been reported for Peganum harmala and Piper longum. These plants contain flavonoids that probably can affect reproductive endocrine system and reduce fertility. In this study, the impacts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Peganum harmala and Piper longum on pituitary-gonadal axis were investigated. Male mice were divided into one control group and three experimental groups. The first experimental group received the extract of Peganum harmala (200 mg/lit), while the second experimental group received the extract of Piper longum (200 mg/lit) and the third experimental group received the combination of both extracts (200 mg/lit) for 30 days. After the treatment, spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids were counted and serum levels of testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Levels of testosterone, FSH and LH showed a significant decrease in the first and third experimental groups in comparison with the control group. Moreover, the number of spermatogonia, spermatocyte and spermatid decreased in these groups. The results of the present study demonstrated that hydroalcoholic extract of Peganum harmala and Piper longum can decrease the pituitary gonadal axis function and spermatogenesis in male NMRI mice.
 

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Of different types of bio-compatible nano‌particles, iron oxide nanoparticle has attracted attention for its applications especially in medicine and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We decided to study histological changes in testis and spermatogenesis in mature male mice that are affected by ironoxide nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃) during fetal period. In this study, the mice were divided into three experimental and two control and sham groups. Iron oxide at do-ses of 10, 30, 50 mg/kg were injected into pregnant mice during 10th, 12th and 14th days of the critical period of fetus testis development. After the maturation of the mice which were born, slices with the thickness of 0.06 µm were prep-ared from adult male testis and epididymis, stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The cells were counted, then the obta-ined data was analyzed with one-way ANONA and Tukey testes. The results showed that the number of epididymis sp-erms at the doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg, testis weight at the dose of 30 mg/kg, primary spermatocytes at the dose 10mg/kg had increased, while the testis diameter in all the three experimental groups and the volume of the testis at the dose of 50 mg/kg had decreased. Disorganization and vacuolization were observed at high doses. Passing through the cell me-mbrane, and considering its oxidation and reduction potentials, it was observed that Iron oxide nanoparticle acts as anti-oxidant at low doses and shows toxicity at high doses. The fact obtained in the paper reflects the dual potential of the ir-on oxide nanoparticle.

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In this study, the effects of seaweed extract (Ascophyllum nodosum) on seed germination stimulation and growth indices in chickpea were studied. A factorial experiment was performed on the basis of a completely randomized design with 3 replications. Treatments consisted of seaweed extract at four levels (0, 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5%) and drought stress at four levels (0, -0.3, -0.6 and -0.9 MP). Drought stress was induced by PEG 6000. Results showed that drought stress at -0.6 and -0.9 MP reduced the germination traits significantly compared with the controls. Seaweed extract at 2.5 and 3.5% resulted in a significant increase in the germination percentage (+18%, +24%), germination rate (+15%, +20%), seedling length (+13.3%, +15.7%), radicle area (+10.4%, +12.8%), radicle diameter (+14.2%, +25%), plumule length (+14%, +16.6%) and plumule dry weight (+10.3%, +12.6%). Under non-stress and -0.3 MP, seaweed extract levels at 2.5 and 3.5% could significantly increase the germination vigor, seed vigor index, consumed endosperm, radicle length and radicle dry weight. The application of seaweed extract at 3.5% improved the germination vigor, seed vigor index and radicle dry weight under -0.6 MP conditions. It also improved the consumed endosperm, length and radicle dry weight in samples affected by -0.9 MP conditions. According to the results, the use of seaweed extract (Ascophyllum nodosum) in the seed germination of beans is recommended for the reduction of the negative effects of drought stress.
 

 

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Sperm morphometry is a part of the semen analysis based on CASA technology and has shown a big role in the prediction of male fertility. This analysis implies the use of stain techniques, although it has been shown that staining can make dramatic changes in the cell morphometry in different species. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the differences in sperm morphometry in Alpaca, introduced by the use of different stain techniques. Single ejaculates from five adult alpacas were used. Samples were recovered by deferent duct deviation surgery technique. Three stain techniques (i.e. Hemacolor, Harri’s Henatoxylin and Diff-Quik) were evaluated. Morphometric analysis was done using ISAS® v1 CASA-Morph system, at 100x bright field objective magnification and a digital video camera with a final resolution of 0.08 µm/pixel. Almost 200 randomly selected cells were automatically analysed per sample and stain technique, considering several sperm-head and midpiece parameters regarding size and shape. Almost all of the parameters showed different levels of difference among the employed techniques. In general, the largest cell heads were the ones stained with Harri’s Hematoxylin and the smallest ones were the ones stained with Diff-Quik. The discriminant parameters used to differentiate between animals better were the head width, area and acrosome percentage. In conclusion, like in other species, alpaca sperm morphometry results were found to be sensitive to the applied stain technique. This implies the necessity of referring clearly the stain technique used in each case to perform comparisons between different works on the same species. None of the employed techniques was superior to the others. In addition, the method used to obtain the samples showed its usefulness and simplicity for repeated samplings.
 
 
 

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The new species Onosma nuristanica is described and illustrated here on the basis of specimens collected from Parun in Nuristan and Chapa Dareh in Kunar, one of the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. An extensive review of the literature and a comparative study with specimens from several herbaria led to the determine of this new species. Our results represent significant divergence between studied specimens in terms of the most important morphological features, i.e., flower color, pedicel length, bract length filaments length, cauline shape and form.  In this article, a detailed description of the new species and a diagnostic key for Onosma species thriving in Afghanistan are provided and the new species is compared morphologically with its closely related species. In addition, a distribution map is provided for the new species and its close relatives in the area.

 

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Background: Cryopreservation of sperm is a critical technique in reproductive biology and medicine, allowing for long-term storage and use of genetic material. However, the freezing and thawing process can significantly impact sperm quality, affecting parameters such as motility, viability, and overall fertility potential.
Aim: This study explores the effect of an aqueous-alcoholic extract of Fraxinus excelsior on the quality parameters of sperm in NMRI mice after cryopreservation.
Methods: This study uses a descriptive correlation approach to examine the relationship between variables in sperm motility and cytoplasmic membrane health. Thirty male NMRI mice were divided into five experimental groups: healthy control, solvent control, and Fraxinus excelsior extract. Sperm motility, cytoplasmic membrane health, and oxidative stress levels were measured. Data analysis was performed using SAS 9.4 software, with mean comparisons using Duncan's test at a significance level of 0.05.