Animal models for improving reproductive efficiency using medicinal plants: A review.

The increasing prevalence of male infertility in animals has become a global concern. Recently, the use of herbal medicinal plants to enhance spermatozoa production has attracted increased interest. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the results of available studies on these medicinal plants and determine the effectiveness and safety of their use in improving the fertility of male animals. Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were searched for English articles published during 1983-2024 that contained a number of key terms, including animal fertility, animal reproductive, animal spermatogenesis, and medicinal plants. Finally, these studies included five different medicinal plants, namely, Allium sativum, Apium graveolens, Avena sativa, Lepidium sativum, and Spinacia oleracea, which have a clear effect on animal fertility and efficiency. A total of 127 studies were included, including 69 related to fertility and 58 related to phytochemicals, action mechanism, health benefits, and plant characteristics; in addition to 11 related to infertility were excluded. In conclusion, herbal plants are likely to be beneficial in increasing animal fertility due to their antioxidant function and lack of adverse effects.