effect of temulawak (curcuma xanthorrhiza) extract on sperm counts, morphology, and motility of nicotine-induced mice

Background & objective: infertility is a health problem that affects 72.4 million couples worldwide. infertility can occur as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, such as a smoking habit. cigarettes contain nicotine, a toxic compound that can trigger oxidative stress and eventually decrease fertility. temulawak is a medicinal plant that is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. it has been used as a traditional remedy and is believed to improve fertility. we aim to study the effect of temulawak extract on the morphology, motility, and sperm counts of nicotine-induced mice. materials & methods: a total of 20 mice were divided into four groups (n = 5): control normal (k0); nicotine-induced (k1); and nicotine-induced treated with two different concentrations of temulawak extract, 4 mg/20 g body weight (p1) and 8 mg/20 g body weight (p2). the mice were given nicotine and temulawak for 28 days and then killed by neck dislocation. both testes and vas deferens were collected for sperm analysis. results: mice treated with nicotine (k1) showed lower sperm counts (p=0.012) and motility (p<0.001) compared to mice in the control normal (k0) but had no difference in morphology. treatment with temulawak (4 mg/20 g body weight) on nicotine-induced mice (p1) significantly increased sperm motility (p< 0.001). a double dose of temulawak extract (p2) resulted in significantly higher motility and sperm counts than in group k1. conclusion: temulawak treatment (8 mg/20 g body weight) on nicotine-induced mice can significantly improve motility and sperm counts.