In-vitro effect of Peganum harmala total alkaloids on spermatozoa quality and oxidative stress of epididymal ram semen

Objective: To determine the in-vitro effect of the total alkaloid extract of Peganum (P.) harmala seeds on ram epididymal sperm. Methods: Semen was divided into six groups according to the following concentrations of the P. harmala total alkaloids: 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL, and the control group. The samples were incubated at ambient temperature (21 °C-24 °C) for 24 h, and analyzed in terms of motility, membrane integrity, and oxidative status. Results: The sperm kinematic parameters, i.e. straight-line velocity, curvilinear velocity, average path velocity, were significantly higher when treated with P. harmala at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 μg/mL compared to the control group (P<0.05). In addtion, the highest amplitude of the lateral head displacement value was found in the groups treated with concentrations 1 and 5 μg/mL of P. harmala compared to the control group (P<0.05). Total and progressive motilities showed that the extracts at 1, 5, and 10 μg/mL exhibited a high percentage after 24 h of incubation. The effect of P. harmala extracts on the membrane integrity of ram epididymal sperm was concentration-dependent and significantly different compared to the control group (P<0.05). Non-significantly lower lipid peroxidation levels were observed after 24 h of incubation of ram epididymal sperm treated with concentrations 1, 5, and 10 μg/mL of P. harmala extracts compared to the control group (P>0.05). Conclusions: Low concentrations (1-10 μg/mL) of P. harmala extracts stimulate sperm motility, preserve membrane integrity and protect ram spermatozoa from lipid peroxidation.