A Single Blind Randomized Controlled Trial on Apatyakar Ghrut in the Management of Oligozoospermia

Abstract

Background: Infertility is a problem of global proportions, affecting on an average 8-12% of couples worldwide.Recent studies have indicated that the prevalence of ligozoospermia is extremely high in the metropolis as well as in smaller towns of India. Infertility is defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected coitus. Male infertility is slightly less complicated than female infertility, but may account for 30-40% of infertility. Oligozoospermia is one among the prime factors in the male infertility and it is defined as a subnormal concentration of spermatozoa in the penile ejaculate i.e. less than 20 million/ml. The various medicines are listed to promote fertility, which could be the treatment of these types of cases. Because the problem is still persisting and no complete treatment is available. Acharya Charaka has listed various drugs that are useful in treating Alpa, dushta retas that work directly on Shukra janana (spermatogenesis) properties and shukra shodhana. Apatyakar Ghrut is one of them. Go-ghrut is best among all the Jangam snehas because it is having special capacity of adoptability i.e. Samsakarysa Anuvartanam and it is Vrushya. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the role of Apatyakar Ghrut in infertile male in which cause of infertility is oligozoospermia. Apatyakar Ghrut is a poly herbal formulation reported to be useful in improving fertility. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate efficacy of Apatyakar Ghrut oral administration for two months. Materials and Methods: 60 eligible male participants between the age of 21 and 50 years, with sperm count <20 million/ml, received Apatykar Ghrut in the dose of 10ml orally twice daily before food with lukewarm water as Anupana for the duration of two months. Results: Apatykar Ghrut provided increase of 58.93% in total sperm count, 45.61% increase in sperm motility, 14.45% increase in semen volume, pH by 0.45% and decrease in liquefication time by 14.51%. Conclusion: Administration of Apatykar ghrut provided statistically highly significant improvement in desire, ejaculation, erection, orgasm, performance anxiety, sperm count, sperm motility, liquefication time, volume of semen parameters related to male infertility including oligozoospermia.