Poorly controlled diabetes has been implicated in lipoprotein abnormalities and hypertriglyceridemia in both human and experimental animals, which increase the risk of artherogenicity. The effect of annona muricata seed extract was studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for 30 days in order to evaluate its anti-atherogenic property by investigating lipid profile malondialdehyde and histology of the aorta. The animals were divided into four groups (I-IV). Groups II-IV received a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) dissolved in a citrate buffer (pH 4.5). Group I (control) received citrate buffer only. Groups III and IV received 500 and 750 mg/kg of extract orally, whereas group I and II received rat chow. Result showed that treatment with high dose of extract (750 mg/kg) significantly increased anti-atherogenic percentage (70.7 %), whereas total cholesterol, low density lipoproteincholesterol, triglycerides and malondialdehydewere significantly reduced after treatment with 500 and 750 mg/kg respectively. Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was significantly elevated. Histological assessment of the aorta showed widely dilated, moderately thickened wallin extract treated groups. Data showed that biochemical parameters were greatly improved without significant effect on endothelial thickness.

No abstract

Tetrapleura tetraptera stem bark has been reported to cause inhibition of luteinizing hormone release in cultured rat pituitary cells. Hence, we investigated the effects of Tetraptera tetrapleura pod extract on follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, cortisol, progesterone and estrogen. Thirty non-pregnant female wistar albino rats were divided into group A - D. Group A rats were used as Control. Group B rats were administered 1 mg/kg/day of clomiphene citrate orally. Group C rats were administered 200 mg/kg of extract only, whereas group D rats were administered 1 mg/kg /day of Clomiphene citrate plus 200 mg/kg of extract. At the end of 14 days experiment, group A, B and D were found in proestrus phase and group C in diestrus phase. FSH and cortisol levels remained unchanged. Group C and D rats produced significant reduction (P < 0.05) in LH and estrogen levels in prolonged proestrus and normal diestrus respectively. Progesterone level was significantly high (P < 0.05) in the group C rats. The reduced LH level could be due to the anti-estrogenic effect of extract during proestrus when LH secretion is expected to surge. But co-administration resulted in high progesterone secretion, suggesting extract may have influenced progesterone secretion in group D rats simultaneously administered with clomiphene citrate and extract. The above findings indicated that Tetrapleura tetraptera pod extracts inhibited luteinizing hormone and estrogen even when co-administered with clomiphene citrate.

No abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare the inhibitory effect of ibuprofen with oral administration of Piper guineense leaf extract on follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone and estrogen in female rats irrespective of the estrous cycle. The animals were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 7): group A (control), Group B, 180 mg-kg of ibuprofen, Group C, 200 mg-kg of Piper guineense extract, Group D, 180 mg-kg of ibuprofen and 200 mg-kg of Piper guineense extract. At the end of two weeks administration, rats were sacrificed under urethane anesthesia and hormones measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results showed significant reduction in serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone following ibuprofen administration in Group B rats at P < 0.05. Piper guineense extract treated Group C rats caused significant reduction in serum luteinizing hormone and progesterone at P < 0.05. In contrast, serum follicle stimulating hormone significantly increased in Group D rats at P < 0.05 whereas serum luteinizing hormone and progesterone were markedly reduced at P < 0.05. Serum estrogen level remained unchanged among groups. In conclusion, results obtained suggested that extract inhibited luteinization of follicles thus could impair ovulation, therefore the extract can be used as oral contraceptive in family planning.