Diabetes mellitus-induced male reproductive impairment: The role of natural products: A review

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycaemia, with multi-organ complications. DM is known to trigger oxidative stress in virtually all tissues of the body including male reproductive organs. Several experimental and clinical studies have reported varying degrees of male reproductive impairment in DM. Disruption in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, abnormal testicular energy metabolism, testicular and epididymal oxidative stress and oxidative stress-induced germ cell apoptosis have been reported in DM. The use of natural products in the treatment of various diseases is gaining more attention in experimental and clinical studies for the management and/or treatment of various diseases. In this review, the effects of DM on male reproductive system at pre-testicular, testicular and post-testicular levels are discussed. The role of various natural products including whole plant extracts and some pure compounds isolated from plants, with their suggested mechanism of actions is also reviewed.