Received April 23, 2020
Accepted November 03, 2020

Objectives: Xylopia aethiopica is a common plant in the West Africa with wide applications in trado-medical management of several diseases. Thus, our study aimed to analyze the histology and hormonal effects of ethanol extracts of Xylopia aethiopica seeds on cadmium chloride-induced reproductive dysfunction in female Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty-five rats weighing (120 – 150 g) were recruited for this study. The rats were divided into five groups/n=5: Group 1: received only distilled water orally; Group 2: received 2 mg/kg cadmium chloride orally; Group 3: received 2 mg/kg cadmium chloride plus 50 mg/kg Xylopia aethiopica seeds orally; Group 4: received 2 mg/kg cadmium chloride plus 100 mg/kg Xylopia aethiopica seeds orally and Group 5: received 100 mg/kg Xylopia aethiopica seeds only orally. Administration was done for 14 days after which animals were sacrificed following chloroform anaesthesia for 24hrs. Blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture for hormonal assay. The ovaries and uterus were harvested for histology. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and differences in mean values were considered significant at p<0.05. Results: The body weight of the rats showed a dose dependent reduction (p <0.05) compared with control. Xylopia aethiopica seeds significantly (p <0.05) reversed the detrimental effects of Cadmium on LH and FSH. The histological analysis of the ovary showed significantly improved upon treatment with extract of Xylopia aethiopica in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: The ameliorative effects of Xylopia aethiopica against cadmium chloride-induced reproductive toxicity in female Wistar rats may be attributed to its antioxidants property.