JBMJournal of Biosciences and Medicines2327-5081Scientific Research Publishing10.4236/jbm.2023.1110015JBM-128472ArticlesBiomedical&Life Sciences Steroidogenic Effects and Phytochemical Profile of Aqueous Extract of <i>Tetracarpidium conophorum</i> (Mull. Arg.) & Hutch Kernels in Male Rats HermanAkassa1*BonaventureMax Lazare Peneme2ConstantinMoukouma3Dieu-MerciBevel Gallo Mongo4RachieOsandze1ArnaudWilfrid Etou Ossibi3AngeAntoine Abena5Faculty of Applied Sciences, Denis Sassou Nguesso University, Kintelé, Republic of the CongoChemistry Unit of the Plant and Life, Faculty of the Sciences and Techniques, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of the CongoDepartement of Pharmacopeia and Traditional Medicine, National Institute for Research in Health Sciences (IRSSA), Brazzaville, Republic of the CongoLaboratory of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of the CongoLaboratory of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo27092023111015616724, August 202321, October 2023 24, October 2023© Copyright 2014 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. 2014This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the steroidogenic effects and phytochemical profile of aqueous extract of Tetracarpidium conophorum in male rats. Assays of biochemical reproductive parameters (total cholesterol, serum testosterone, FSH and LH) were carried out using Cypress and ELISA kits respectively. The chemical screening of the extract was conducted through tube reactions, the principle of which involves adding a reagent to a quantity of the extract, and subsequently observing the resulting reactions such as precipitation and color change. The results obtained showed that oral administration of the aqueous extract of Tetracarpidium conophorum (250 and 500 mg/kg) produced a significant increase (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) in testicular weight compared with the control lot. The aqueous extract of Tetracarpidium conophorum kernels at the doses studied produced a very significant decrease in total cholesterol levels (p < 0.001) and a significant increase (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) in serum testosterone and FSH levels. However, no variation was observed in LH levels. Phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, triterpenes, sugars, anthraquinones and saponosides. These results suggest that the aqueous extract of Tetracarpidium conophorum kernels could have hypocholesterolemic and steroidogenic potential. A study of the aqueous extract of Tetracarpidium conophorum on semen quality and oxidative stress parameters deserves to be conducted.

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