Table 1.
Summarized results of the studies
| Authors (years) | Plant name | Participants |
Intervention
(daily dose) |
Control
group |
Duration |
Study outcome
measures |
Improvements | Side effect |
Consort
score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heidary (2008), (15) | Saffron | 52 nonsmoker infertile men |
50mg | Placebo | 3 months | Semen parameters | Sperm morphology and motility(p<0.001) |
None reported |
16 |
| Safarinejad (2011), (16) |
Saffron | 260 infertile men |
60 mg | Placebo | 26 weeks | Semen parameters and total seminal plasma antioxidant capacity |
No improvement | Safe | 19 |
| Shamsa (2009), (17) | Saffron | 20 male patients with ED |
200mg | Placebo | 10 days | RigiScan parameters and sexual function |
Rigidity, tumescence, erectile function, sexual satisfaction, orgasm, sexual desire and overall satisfaction (p<0.001) |
None reported |
20 |
| Rasekh (2015), (18) | Palm pollen | 50 infertile men |
120 mg/ kg | Placebo | 2 months | Sperm parameters | Sperm motility, morphology and forward progressive motility (p<0.05) |
None reported |
17 |
| Saeed (2020), (19) | Date Palm pollen | 40 subfertile men |
500mg | Control | 3months | Semen parameters and serum hormone levels |
sperm motility in oligoasthenozoosper mic patients (p<0.05) |
Safe | 17 |
| Khoradmehr (2015), (20) |
TOPALAF | 62 infertile men |
12.5 mg | Placebo | 3months | Sperm parameters | Count and sperm motility(p<0.05) |
None reported |
16 |
| Ramezani (2015), (21) |
ADOFON | 62 infertile men |
12.5 mg | Placebo | 3months | Sperm parameters | Count and sperm motility(p<0.05) |
None reported |
16 |
| Kim (2002), (22) | Ginseng | 80 patients with abnormal semen |
2.4 gm | Placebo | 2 months | Sperm parameters | Count and Semen volume (p<0.05) |
None reported |
17 |
| Park (2016), (23) | Ginseng | 80infertile men |
1.5-g | Placebo | 3 months | Sperm analysis was performed and hormonal levels |
Sperm concentrations, motility, morphology, and viability(p<0.05) |
None reported |
21 |
| Khani (2013), (24) | Sesame | 25 infertile men |
0.5 mg/kg | Placebo | 3months | Sperm parameters | Sperm count and motility(p<0.05) |
No major side effect was reported. |
18 |
| Kolahdooz (2014), (25) |
Nigella sativa | 34 Iranian infertile men |
5 ml | Placebo | 2 months | Sperm parameters | Sperm count, motility and morphology and semen volume, pH and round cells (p<0.05) |
Safe | 22 |
| Marbat (2013), (26) | Nigella sativa | 50 infertile men |
2g | Placebo | 3 months | Sperm analysis was performed and hormonal levels |
Sperm count, motility, viability, morphology, serum FSH, LH and testosterone levels (p<0.01) |
None reported |
15 |
| Ambiye (2013), (27) | Ashwagandha | 68infertile men |
675 mg | Placebo | 3 months | Semen parameters and serum hormone levels |
Sperm count, volume, motility, testosterone and LH levels (p<0.05) |
Safe | 20 |
| Ahmad (2010), (28) | Ashwagandha | 75 normal healthy fertile men |
5 g | Placebo | 3 months | Seminal plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant vitamins, and hormone levels |
Sperm count, motility, seminal plasma levels of antioxidant enzymes, vitamins A, C, and E, testosterone and LH levels (p<0.05) |
Safe | 17 |
| Mahdi (2011), (29) | Ashwagandha | 121infertile men |
5 g | Placebo | 3 months | Seminal plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant vitamins, and hormone levels |
Sperm count, motility, seminal plasma levels of antioxidant enzymes, testosterone and LH levels (p<0.05) |
None reported |
17 |
| Mares (2012), (30) | Ashwagandha | 75 infertile men |
No reported | Placebo | 3 months | Semen parameters and serum hormone levels |
Sperm count, motility, viability, morphology, volume, serum glutathione, serum FSH, LH and testosterone levels(p<0.05) |
None reported |
15 |
| Gupta (2013), (31) | Ashwagandha | 180 infertile men |
5 g | Placebo | 3 months | Semen parameters and serum hormone levels |
Sperm count, motility, disturbed concentrations of lactate, alanine, citrate, GPC, histidine, and phenylalanine in seminal plasma (p<0.05) |
None reported |
18 |
| Shukla (2009), (32) | Mucunapruriens | 75 infertile men |
5 g | Placebo | 3 months | Semen parameters and serum hormone levels |
Sperm count and motility, and LH, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline levels(p<0.05) |
None reported |
18 |
| Mkrtchyan (2005), (33) |
Andrographis paniculata | 50 infertile men |
60 mg | ginseng | 13 days | Semen parameters | Sperm volume, and count (p<0.05) |
Safe | 17 |
| Kolangi (2019), (34) | Alpinia officinarum | 60 infertile men |
300 mg | Placebo | 3 months | Sperm parameters | Sperm count and morphology(p<0.05) |
Safe | 22 |