Abstract
Garden cress or "hab arachad" seeds are considered one of the popular medicinal herbs used in Arabian countries.
Garden cress meal (Lepidium sativum) is a by-product remaining after the extraction of the oil from seeds. The
decline in male reproductive health and fertility in the last 30 years has been linked to environmental toxicants.
The present study was designed to investigate the effects of tocopherol extraction of Lepidium sativum seeds
on histological changes in testis, epididymis, and seminal vesicle tissues of adult male rabbits. Then the ability of
the extract to induce changes in the morphology of rabbits organs compared to normal groups was determined by
histological study using light microscopy. The results have been showed that oral tocopherol supplementation
can improve histoarchitecture of rabbit testis. This suggests that tocopherol extraction could be used to enhance
rabbit fertility.

1. Introduction
Many natural dietary agents, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices have been used in traditional
medicines, as non-conventional treatments, for thousands of years, but without sufficient scientific proofs. If
effective, natural agents might lead to the development of natural and novel drugs with low or no side effects
(Mahassni & Al-Reemi 2013). Lepidium sativum (family Brassicaceae) locally known as ‘garden cress’ has been
used widely in different parts of the world for its wide therapeutic application, a number of recent studies pointed
out the traditional uses of Lepidium sativum seeds extract in controlling many clinical problems (Gill &
MacLeod 1980), and Ahmed et al. (2013) revealed that Lepidium sativum seeds with high nutritional value can
be exploited as a functional food ingredient. Garden cress is usually cultivated for its leaves, which are used in
salad, sandwiches etc (Lefroy Valley carries 2013). The leaves and seedpods have a peppery taste, and has been
reported to have enormous biological activities (Sarikami & Yanmaz 2011). It is documented to possess,
tocopherol, phenolic compounds, nitrogen compounds, terpenoids, and some other endogenous metabolites,
which are rich in antioxidant activity (Muanda et al. 2011). Vitamin E was first isolated from green leafy
vegetables by Herbert Evans and Katherine Bishop, two prominent researchers from Berkeley and described as a
fertility factor in 1922, then was named tocopherol in 1924 and synthesized in 1938 (Sen et al. 2007). Moreover,
several studies demonstrated that supplementation of vitamin E, the major biological form of vitamin E, could
reduce risks of infertility, neurological disorders, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain
types of cancers in humans (Traber & Sies 1996, Tucker & Townsend 2005). Vitamin E refers to a family of
tocopherols and tocotrienols, Vitamin E cannot be synthesized by humans and must be obtained from the diet
with an abundant source found in vegetable oil, nuts, and egg yolks (Ni & Yeh 2007). To date, there are
approximately 100 publications on this topic, which highlight the beneficial effects of this antioxidant on
viability, membrane integrity and motility of spermatozoa of different species. The protective effects of
tocopherol against oxidative damage of sperm cells become even more significant when hygienic conditions are
poorly controlled, as they frequently occur in field. Such conditions are associated with increased incidence of
infections/inflammations of reproductive apparatus. Therefore, the objective of the present study was conducted
to evaluate the histological effects in male rabbits reproductive organs supplement with tocopherol extract of
Lepidium sativum seeds.

2. Materials and methods
2.1 Preparation of extracts
Garden cress seeds (Lepidium sativum L.) were obtained from the local market in Hilla City, Iraq. The seeds
were cleaned and rendered free of dust, then stored in polyethylene bags in the refrigerator until use. For
tocopherol extraction , garden cress seeds were crushed, using a household mill (Braun, Germany), and then 5
gram sample was extracted with 25mL of (85% hexane : 15% ethyle acetate) for 24 hour by Soxhlet method.
The extract was filtered out and evaporated to dryness by oven at 45C for 24 hour (Harborn 1984).
2.2 Experimental animals
Twenty (20) new Zealand white male rabbits aged 4 months and averagely weighing 1.513 gm were balanced for
weight and put in cage under control of water, diet, light duration (12 hour light-12hour dark). These animals
were divided into 4 groups (5 animals for each group), control group was treated orally with corn oil, and
experimental groups were treated orally with 32, 64, and 96 mg/kg body weight of tocopherol extraction, daily
for 50 days.
2.3 Histological examination
At the end of the experiment, both control and experimental rabbits were sacrificed after 50 days of treatment
and left tissues were taken and fixed in 10% neutral formalin solution for histological assessment. The fixed
specimens were then trimmed, washed and dehydrated in ascending grades of alcohol. These specimens were
cleared in xylene, embedded in paraffin, sectioned and stained with haematoxylin-eosin, and slides were
prepared from the tissues , then microscopically examined.
3. Results
The micrograph of the testes of male rabbits on the control (corn oil) is shown in figure 1A while that of the
treated group supplemented with 32, 64, 96 mg/kg of tocopherol extraction is presented in figure 1B, C, and D
respectively. No histological changes or alterations were observed in the testes of groups treated with 32, 64
mg/kg that showed normal arrangement of the seminiferous tubules with normal germinal epithelium as well as
developing and mature spermatozoa. The lumen was seen packed with spermatids and spermatozoa, while the
group treated with 96 mg/kg showed observable increase in sperm concentration which represented by the
increase of the population of the sperm cells in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules (fig. 1D). Also the
micrographs of the seminal vesicles and epididymis of male rabbits treated with 0, 32, 64, and 96 mg/kg of
tocopherol extraction have been revealed normal Histological changes as shown in figure 2 and 3.
4. Discussion
Vitamin E supplementation has become a common procedure to promote growth and health and improve the
qualitative characteristics of farm animals. It has been demonstrated to be an efficient strategy for improving
their reproductive function. Germ cells are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage and may thus require
additional antioxidant production (Castellini et al. 2007). In general, our results have been shown that vitamin E
has no significant effects on the histology of rabbit testis (except the 96 mg/kg), seminal vesicles, and epididymis.
The reason for this is attributed to no pathological or undesired histological changes because the experiment
performed on normal model to show the effects of vitamin E, while the other comparative studies on vitamin E
were showed the significant effect on pathological and undesired histological changes (Sahinturk et al. 2007,
Ranade et al. 2011, Amao et al. 2012). The 96 mg/kg dose showed observable increase in sperm concentration,
this result may refer to the typical dose of vitamin E and reflect the important role. By mediating the levels of
reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species ROS/RNS, vitamin E may modulate the activation and/or
expression of redox-sensitive biological response modifiers, and thereby attenuate the cellular events leading to
the onset and development of aging and other degenerative disorders (Chow & Chow-Johnson 2013). In addition
vitamin E is quite an effective antioxidant which protects rabbit testis against lipid peroxidation (Aydilek
et al. 2004). Also, the effect of vitamin E at the dose 96 mg/kg may explain that the doses 32 and 64 mg/kg were
not sufficiently high to induce observable effects.
5.Conclusion
Administration of tocopherol has no significant histological effects on testes, seminal vesicles, and epididymis of
normal rabbits model (except at 96 mg/kg which had observable effects on sperm concentration). These results
indicate that vitamin E has a positive role in improving the development of testis in normal male rabbits at high
concentration.