Inhibitor Properties of Rue (Ruta graveolens L.) on Spermatogenesis in Guppy Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Rue (RE), a medicinal herb having anti-androgenic characteristic on the sexuality of guppy males. In total, 120 males were selected randomly, acclimated and divided equally into four groups that received the RE ethanolic extract at 0, 1, 10 and 100 mg.kg-1, respectively for 30 days. The findings revealed that 100 mg.kg-1 had significantly lower whole-body testosterone levels than control. Furthermore, males administered RE at all doses had a significantly lower gonopodial index than the control group. Whereas, administration of RE at 10 and 100 mg.kg-1 causes a lowering in sperm counts than the control group. Regarding with histopathological examination, the testes of control males were well-differentiated with an increase in spermatozeugmata proportion at all spermatogenesis stages with a significant proportion of cystic structures containing spermatozoa. On the other hand, RE-fed animals showed a dose-dependent decrease in spermatozeugmata and an increase in spermatocytes' number of ducts, indicating the role of RE in reducing the development of guppy’s spermatogenesis. In conclusion, Rue can impact the sexual parameters of adult guppy males by confirming the anti-androgenic properties of RE.