Review on Phytochemistry of Medicinal Plants Documented for the Treatment of Low Sperm Count in Oluponna, Nigeria

According to the literature, approximately 32% of adult males in developing countries suffer from infertility, however, majority of them use herbal remedies with reported benefits such as improved sperm quality, sexual functions, libido and testosterone levels. Recently, the World Health Organization emphasized the importance of documenting active medicinal plants used in various continents. Therefore, this present review focused on the phytochemistry of medicinal plants reported for the treatment of low sperm count in Oluponna area of Osun state, documented in an ancestral local record. Thirteen medicinal plants were documented to be used for management of low sperm count among men in this community. The plants listed in the document belong to ten families and 12 genera. The most cited family in this record is Apocynaceae with three species of plants namely, Alstonia boonei, Laidolphia dulcis, and Rauwolfia vomitoria respectively. Since this is the first review on the documentation of an ancestral knowledge and application of medicinal plants as means of passing the knowledge from a generation to another in Oluponna, additional toxicological and pharmacological studies are hereby recommended in order to provide scientific rationale for the long-term knowledge and use of these plants.