effect of phoenix dactylifera pollen on sperm parameters and reproductive system of adult male rats

background: there is a rapidly growing trend in the consumption of herbal remedies in the developing countries. the phoenix dactylifera date palm pollen (dpp) is used in the traditional medicine for male infertility. the aim of this study was to determine the effects of orally administered dpp on the reproductive system of adult male rats.   methods: fifty sprague-dawley rats were maintained according to standard laboratory conditions. they were divided into five groups (n=10) and received daily gavages of aqueous suspensions dpp containing 30, 60, 120 and 240 mg/kg, for 35 consecutive days. at the end the sperm was collected from ductus deferens under anesthesia and their numbers, motility, and morphology were determined under light microscopy. the dna integrity or denaturation was also evaluated by acridine orange staining. the weight of the testis and reproductive appendages was also determined, and after tissue processing, their histology were studied by light microscope.   results: the comparative evaluation between control and experimental groups revealed that consumption of dpp suspensions improved the sperm count, motility, morphology, and dna quality with a concomitant increase in the weights of testis and epididymis. it did not significantly affect the weight of the prostate and the seminal vesicle or the histology of the reproductive tissues.   conclusion: date palm pollen seems to cure male infertility by improving the quality of sperm parameters. however, further studies are needed to see its beneficial effects in man. iran j med sci 2006; 31(4): 208-212.   keywords ● date palm pollen ● male reproductive system ● sperm ● infertility