title: Seminal gold content in healthy fertile men in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Since centuries Ayurveda, mentions the role of gold in the treatment of male infertility 'Swarna Bhasma' (Ash of gold) has been used with good results by Ayurvedic practitioners in the treatment of infertility. Hence, a study was planned to estimate gold in whole semen by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole semen from 11 healthy males of proved fertility from Lucknow (India) was analyzed for gold content by Atomic Absorption spectrophotometry at wavelength 242.8 nm with Hollow Cathode Gold Lamp. Prior to analysis, all the samples were subjected to digestion procedure, achieved by treating them with mixture of concentrated Nitric acid and concentrated Perchloric acid in 6: 1 ratio.
  
  
  METHODS
  On analysis all semen samples were found to contain gold ranging from 0.36 to 1.98 μg/ml with a mean value of 0.88 μg/ml and a standard deviation of 0.51 μg/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, gold was estimated after complete digestion (oxidation of organic matters; hence, whatever amount of gold detected, denotes the levels in seminal plasma as well as the sperm itself) in whole semen (seminal plasma and sperm). It seems that the hypothesis made for presence of gold in sperm might be true. However, the literature available in this connection is very scanty and further studies are needed for scientific documentation of gold in male infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, C.S.M.Medical University, (Erstwhile - King George Medical University), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Anurag
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Singh