Shilajit is one of a traditional Ayurvedic remedy to determine its potential effects on male reproductive health. The research investigated how shilajit exposure influenced semen quality and reproductive performance in male rats that had reached puberty. In this study forty mature male Wistar rats aged 60 days old were split into four groups (10 each) for 60 days, which consisted of a control group who received distilled water and three treatment groups which received shilajit at 100 mg/kg/day, cadmium chloride at 5 mg/kg/day, and a combination of both 100 mg/kg/day shilajit and 5 mg/kg/day cadmium chloride at respectively. Treatments were administered orally for 60 days. The evaluation of semen quality parameters such as sperm motility and count along with sperm viability and abnormalities was performed using collected epididymal tail samples. Rats treated with shilajit showed substantial enhancements in sperm viability, motility, and count while experiencing fewer sperm abnormalities when compared to the control group. The administration of cadmium chloride reduced semen quality parameters. The last treatment group receiving both shilajit and cadmium chloride experienced some reduction in cadmium toxicity yet did not reach the levels of improvement seen in the group treated with shilajit alone. Supplementation with shilajit leads to better semen quality and reproductive performance in male rats because of its antioxidant and adaptogenic properties. This indicates that shilajit holds potential as a therapeutic agent for male fertility enhancement under environmental and chemical stress conditions.
Wilson E, Rajamanickam GV, Dubey GP, et al. Review on shilajit used in traditional Indian medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011;136(1):1-9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.033
Garedew A, Feist M, Schmolz E, Lamprecht I. Thermal analysis of mumiyo, the legendary folk remedy from the Himalaya region. Thermochim Acta. 2004;417(2):301-9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2003.09.034
Agarwal A, Mulgund A, Hamada A, Chyatte MR. A unique view on male infertility around the globe. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2015;13:37.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-015-0032-1
Thompson J, Bannigan J. Cadmium: toxic effects on the reproductive system and the embryo. Reprod Toxicol. 2008;25(3):304-15.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2008.02.001
Satarug S, Moore MR. Adverse health effects of chronic exposure to low-level cadmium in foodstuffs and cigarette smoke. Environ Health Perspect. 2004;112(10):1099-103.https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.6751
Stohs SJ. Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytother Res. 2014;28(4):475-9.https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5018
Surapaneni DK, Adapa SR, Preeti K, et al. Shilajit attenuates behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and mitochondrial bioenergetics in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012;143(1):91-9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.06.002
Elahi S, Mohamadi Sani A, Sarabi-Jamab M. Physicochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics of two types of mumies (shilajit). J Food Meas Charact. 2024;1-10.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-024-02481-2
Stohs SJ, Ray SD, Anderson ML. Experimental and clinical pharmacology of Shilajit, a purified exudate from high-altitude rocks. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:821630.
Wilson E, Rajamanickam GV, Dubey GP, et al. Review on shilajit used in traditional Indian medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011;136(1):1-9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.033
Garedew A, Feist M, Schmolz E, Lamprecht I. Thermal analysis of mumiyo, the legendary folk remedy from the Himalaya region. Thermochim Acta. 2004;417(2):301-9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2003.09.034
Stohs SJ. Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytother Res. 2014;28(4):475-9.https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5018
Thompson J, Bannigan J. Cadmium: toxic effects on the reproductive system and the embryo. Reprod Toxicol. 2008;25(3):304-15https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2008.02.001
Satarug S, Moore MR. Adverse health effects of chronic exposure to low-level cadmium in foodstuffs and cigarette smoke. Environ Health Perspect. 2004;112(10):1099-103.https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.6751
Agarwal A, Mulgund A, Hamada A, Chyatte MR. A unique view on male infertility around the globe. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2015;13:37.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-015-0032-1
Surapaneni DK, Adapa SR, Preeti K, et al. Shilajit attenuates behavioral symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and mitochondrial bioenergetics in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012;143(1):91-9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.06.002
Elahi S, Mohamadi Sani A, Sarabi-Jamab M. Physicochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics of two types of mumies (shilajit). J Food Meas Charact. 2024;1-10.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-024-02481-2
Stohs SJ, Ray SD, Anderson ML. Experimental and clinical pharmacology of Shilajit, a purified exudate from high-altitude rocks. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:821630.
Almershdy,Z kareem B. and Al-Zamely,H A.N.. (2025). Impact of Shilajit on Semen Quality and Reproductive Performance in Male Rats: A Protective Role Against Cadmium-Induced Toxicity. Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences, 24(1), 135-139. doi: 10.29079/qjvms.2025.157187.1070
MLA
Almershdy,Z kareem B., and Al-Zamely,H A.N.. "Impact of Shilajit on Semen Quality and Reproductive Performance in Male Rats: A Protective Role Against Cadmium-Induced Toxicity", Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences, 24, 1, 2025, 135-139. doi: 10.29079/qjvms.2025.157187.1070
HARVARD
Almershdy Z kareem B., Al-Zamely H A.N.. (2025). 'Impact of Shilajit on Semen Quality and Reproductive Performance in Male Rats: A Protective Role Against Cadmium-Induced Toxicity', Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences, 24(1), pp. 135-139. doi: 10.29079/qjvms.2025.157187.1070
CHICAGO
Z kareem B. Almershdy and H A.N. Al-Zamely, "Impact of Shilajit on Semen Quality and Reproductive Performance in Male Rats: A Protective Role Against Cadmium-Induced Toxicity," Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences, 24 1 (2025): 135-139, doi: 10.29079/qjvms.2025.157187.1070
VANCOUVER
Almershdy Z kareem B., Al-Zamely H A.N.. Impact of Shilajit on Semen Quality and Reproductive Performance in Male Rats: A Protective Role Against Cadmium-Induced Toxicity. QJVMS. 2025;24(1):135-139. doi: 10.29079/qjvms.2025.157187.1070