Chang Sue-joan, professor and chairwoman of the Department of Life Sciences of Cheng Kung University, told a seminar Friday that a series of research programs conducted under her leadership between 2003 and 2006 have shown that toona sinensis extracts can minimize the harm caused by oxidative stress to human sperm.

Some of her research results were published in 2005 at the 18th International Congress of Nutrition in Durban, South Africa, as well as in the South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Chang said the World Health Organization has provided evidence showing an overall reduction in male fertility during the past few decades. She added that the decreasing quality of semen and declining sperm count is due partly to long-term exposure to oxidative stress.

She said that toona sinensis could be the answer to the issue of deteriorating sperm count.

Tender shoots of the toona sinensis have long been used by Chinese as a traditional leafy vegetable or crushed as a spice to add flavor to bean curd and noodles.

Results of other research in Taiwan have shown that the effects of toona sinensis extract might improve the quality of spermatozoa of mice and increase their sperm motility.

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