Antagonistic salubrious effects of Tahitian Noni in Momordica charantia-induced cytoarchitectural alterations in rat testes: Parallel light microscopic findings

Drug interaction is a situation in which a substance affect the activity of another to either increased or decreased its outcome. It could also produce an entirely new effect. To determine if addition of Tahitian Noni dietary supplement can alleviate Momordica charantia-induced testicular alterations in Sprague-Dawley rats. Thirty adult male 16 - 20 weeks’ old Sprague-Dawley rats randomized into 6 groups (n=5) were used. Group I (DW8wk) the control: administered distilled water for 8 weeks. Group II (MC50 (8wk)): received 50 mg/100 g b.w. of M. charantia seed extracts for 8 weeks. Group III (MC50 (4wk)-N5 (4wk)): gavaged 50 mg/100 g b.w. of M. charantia seed extracts for 4 weeks thereafter 5 ml/kg of Noni for another 4 weeks. Group IV (MC50 (8wk)+N5 (8wk)): received 50 mg/100 g b.w. of M. charantia seed extracts and 5 ml/kg of Noni concurrently for 8 weeks. Group V (N5 (8wk)): received 5 ml/kg of Noni alone for 8 weeks. Group VI (N5 (4wk)-MC50 (4wk)): treated with 5 ml/kg of Noni for 4 weeks and 50 mg/100 g b.w. of M. charantiaseed extracts for another 4 weeks. The animals were sacrificed on day 57. The testes harvested cleared off surrounding connective tissues and processed for histology.Comparing the slides from treated rats to control, histology showed depletion of spermatogenic cells lines in the seminiferous tubular lumen in MC50 (8wk). This indicates a harmful effect of the extract. Those exposed to Noni, concurrently or otherwise (N5(8wk),MC50(4wk)-N5 (4wk) and MC50 (8wk) +N5 (8wk)) tended towards the normal reference. Light microscopic evidence supports the ameliorative effect of Tahitian Noni dietary supplement on the testicular toxicity induced by high dose M. charantia extract.