Original Article: Effect of Neem Oil on Sperm Mitochondrial Activity

It is a known fact that neem oil has some effect on motility of sperm. Motility of sperm depends on mitochondrial activity present in mid-piece of sperm. In the present study, the mito-chondrial activity of sperm was evaluated after treating semen with the different quantities of neem oil. The mitochondrial activity was also evaluated after subjecting the semen samples for different incubation periods keeping the quantity of semen as well as that of neem oil same. Tests were done on thirty normozoospermic semen samples with motile score more than 75%. It was found that as the quantity of neem oil increases, the mitochondrial activity decreases significantly (P < 0.001). Similar results were found, when same quantity of neem oil was treated with same quantity of semen, but incubating for different time durations. The mitochondrial activity decreases significantly (P < 0.001) from one minute to twenty minutes. So, it indicates that as the contact period between neem oil and semen increases the mitochondrial activity decreases signific-antly