Combination of Date Pollen Powder and Black Seed Powder Improves Sperm Count and Testosterone Concentrations in Infertile Male Subjects

by | Dec 4, 2023 | Amino Acids, Flavonoids, Men's Health, Reproductive Health

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. 3-month consumption of two 500 mg/kg capsules of a combination of date pollen extract (350 mg) and black seed powder extract (250 mg) significantly improved sperm quality parameters and hormonal status in infertile participants. 

Men's healthInfertility is defined as the inability to conceive after at least 12 months of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse1. Worldwide data estimates that couple infertility affects 72.4 million people globally2. Male factor infertility accounts for around half of couple infertility, being solely identified in 30% of couples related to idiopathic sperm abnormalities3.

In recent decades, evidence has demonstrated that date palm pollen (DPP) supplementation can positively impact sperm parameters4. Phytochemical research has shown that the presence of flavonoids, sterol derivatives, and amino acids in the pollen may be responsible for its effects on increasing both sperm count and quality5. Furthermore, black seed (Nigella sativa) has been documented to improve sperm count, motility, and morphology, and serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone levels in various studies6.

Hajb et al. conducted a single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate the effect of a combination of DPP and black seed pollen on male sex hormones and prolactin. Study inclusion consisted of infertile men confirmed by a urologist, aged 22 to 42 years, with an available sperm sample with a total count of <15 million per milliliter, morphology <4% and progressive motility <40%. Participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (n = 30) or placebo (n = 20). Those in the treatment group consumed two 500 mg/kg capsules of a combination of date pollen extract (350 mg) and black seed powder extract (250 mg) twice a day for 3 months. Both groups received the same standard infertility drug prescribed by a specialist to also consume during the intervention.

Fasted blood samples were obtained from all subjects before and at the 3-month end of the intervention. Routine laboratory methods were utilized to conduct semen analysis and sperm quality analysis at baseline and end of intervention. Additionally, the Immunoradiometric Assay (IRMA) method was used to perform hormonal assays including LH, FSH, and prolactin (PRL), and testosterone levels were measured using radioimmunoassay. The Kolmograph-Smirnov test was utilized to assess the normal distribution of data. An independent-samples t-test was used to analyze the data with normal distribution and the Mann-Whitney U-test was utilized for the data with abnormal distribution. No significant differences were noted between groups regarding the comparison of parameters and hormones. Significant findings of the study are as follows:

  • 3-month consumption of the date pollen extract and black seed powder extract combination significantly increased the mean sperm count (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the mean progressive motility increased (p = 0.001).
  • Comparing sperm parameters of the treatment and control groups at the end of the 3-month intervention shows that palm and black seed pollen consumption significantly increased sperm count, progressive motility, rapid progressive, except for morphology (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.02, p = 0.23).
  • Hormonal status after the 3-month intervention shows that serum levels of testosterone, FSH, LH, prolactin, and estradiol significantly increased in the treatment group (p = 0.000, p = 0.004, p = 0.012).

Results of the single-blind, placebo-controlled trial show that a combination of date palm powder and black seed powder improves sperm quality parameters and sex hormones in infertile male subjects. Further research should continue to explore the effects of nutraceuticals on infertility.

Source: Hajb, Ali, Zeynab Salehpour, Roghayyeh Aghaei, Aida Najafian, Masoumeh Mahmoodi, Masoomeh Latifi, and Soghra Fallahi. “The effect of palm pollen and black seed pollen on male sex hormones and sperm quality: a single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial study.” International Journal of Fertility & Sterility 17, no. 1 (2023): 75.

This open-access article has been published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 (CC BY-NC 3.0).

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Posted December 4, 2023.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

  1. Chen J, Chen J, Fang Y, et al. Microbiology and immune mechanisms associated with male infertility. Frontiers in immunology. 2023;14:1139450. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1139450
  2. Fainberg J, Kashanian JA. Recent advances in understanding and managing male infertility. F1000Res. 2019;8doi:10.12688/f1000research.17076.1
  3. Cannarella R, Condorelli RA, Mongioì LM, La Vignera S, Calogero AE. Molecular Biology of Spermatogenesis: Novel Targets of Apparently Idiopathic Male Infertility. Int J Mol Sci. Mar 3 2020;21(5)doi:10.3390/ijms21051728
  4. Falahati AM, Fallahi S, Allamehzadeh Z, Izadi Raieni M, Malekzadeh K. Effects of Date Palm Pollen Supplementations on The Expression of PRDX1 and PRDX6 Genes in Infertile Men: A Controlled Clinical Trial. Int J Fertil Steril. Apr 1 2023;17(3):201-207. doi:10.22074/ijfs.2022.549291.1264
  5. Hooshang H, Farahani AV, Rezaeizadeh H, et al. Efficacy of Date Palm Pollen in the Male Sexual Dysfunction after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Clinical Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022;2022:5032681. doi:10.1155/2022/5032681
  6. Roozbeh N, Amirian A, Abdi F, Haghdoost S. A Systematic Review on Use of Medicinal Plants for Male Infertility Treatment. J Family Reprod Health. Jun 2021;15(2):74-81. doi:10.18502/jfrh.v15i2.6447