Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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POTENTIAL ARECA NUT EXTRACT AS MALE SHORT-TERM ORAL CONTRACEPTION CANDIDATE: REDUCED SPERM MOTILITY WITHOUT IMPAIRMENT IN THE EPIDIDYMIS AND TESTIS

AVE OLIVIA RAHMAN 1,3*, DIDIK GUNAWAN TAMTOMO 1, ADI PRAYITNO 1, DICKY MOCH. RIZAL 2, VITRI WIDYANINGSIH 1, RISYA CILMIATY A.R. 1, PARAMASARI DIRGAHAYU 1

1Doctoral Program of Medicine Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sebelas Maret, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia
2 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
3 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Jambi, Jambi 36361, Indonesia

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Areca nut is traditionally used as a male antifertility agent. However, prolonged administration of high doses has been associated with oxidative stress. This study investigated the poorly documented effects of low-dose and short-term areca nut ethanolic extract on the epididymis. Twenty fertile rats were divided into four groups: a control receiving distilled water; treatment groups administered the extract (50 mg/kg b.w.) for 7, 14, or 28 days. Epididymal DHT, CRISP1, MDA, and Nrf2 levels were measured using ELISA. Sperm parameters, epididymal and testicular histopathologies were evaluated microscopically. The ethanolic areca nut extract significantly reduced sperm motility after 7, 14, and 28 days, with fertility reduction ranging from 40% to 80%. No significant differences were observed in MDA and Nrf2 levels among the groups. Although DHT and CRISP1 levels in the treatment groups tended to decrease, the changes were not statistically significant. Short-term administration (7 and 14 days) did not affect the testicular or epididymal structure. This finding highlights the potential of low-dose areca nut extract to induce significant sperm antimotility without histological disruption, supporting its exploration as a candidate for short-term male contraception agent.