Enhancing the antifertility performance by cashew nut shell extract (Anacardium occidentale L.) on Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout 1769.

Various plants can be used as safe and effective antifertility agents, one of which is cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.). Cashew nut shells contain phenolic compounds Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) or lacquer oil, which are effective antifertility agents in female rats, but there has been no research on male rats. The purpose of the study of antifertility agents of cashew nut shell extract in male rats includes analysis of the body weight, histological structure of the testes, testosterone levels, and assessing the microscopic quality of spermatozoa. Experimental research in the laboratory with a Completely Randomized Design. The test animals were Rattus norvegicus male Wistar strain aged two months, weighing 170-190 gr, totaling 24 divided into four treatment groups, each with six replications. The treatments given were 0.5% CMCNa (Control/T0), cashew nut shell extract 250 mg/kg body weight (Treatment 1/T1), 500 mg/kg body weight (T2), and 750 mg/kg body weight (T3). The treatment period was 25 days and every seven days body weight was measured. Testicular preparations were made using the paraffin method and Hematoxylin Eosin staining. Testosterone levels were tested using the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay method. Microscopic spermatozoa quality tests included motility, morphology, and number of spermatozoa. Analysis of the histological structure of the testes was analyzed descriptively qualitatively by comparing between treatments. One-way ANOVA at the 5% level was used to measure rat body weight, testosterone levels, motility, morphology and number of spermatozoa. The results showed that cashew nut shell extract had no effect on rat body weight (p>0.001). Repeated one-way measures to find out if the rat's mean body weight varied amongst the four treatments, an ANOVA was conducted. The rat's body weight did not differ statistically significantly between the treatments, according to an ANOVA (F statistic is 0.457 and the corresponding p value is 0.649). The rats body weight did not differ statistically significantly across the four treatments, according to the results of Bonferroni's test for multiple comparisons. The extract affected the histology of the seminiferous tubules in T3, namely atrophy, irregular shape, vacuolization and membrane fluidity. Between the interstitial tissue and the seminiferous tubules of the testes of rats in groups T1, T2 and T3 there was a gap or empty space called the phenomenon of tissue stretching (compliance). The extract significantly affected testosterone levels (p<0.001) and microscopic quality of spermatozoa, namely motility (p<0.001), morphology (p<0.001) and number of spermatozoa (p<0.001) which decreased with increasing extract dose. The results of the study concluded that the extract did not significantly affect the weight of rat, there were differences in the structure of the seminiferous tubules in T3, the extract significantly affected testosterone hormone levels and microscopic quality of spermatozoa (motility, normal morphology and number of spermatozoa) which decreased with increasing extract dose. The results of this study can be a reference for natural antifertility compounds.