Effects of Oral Administration of a Decoction on Serum Levels of Leutinizing Hormone, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Progesterone and Estradiol in Female Dutch-White Rabbits

摘要

This study investigated the effects of oral administration of a decoction of twenty medicinal plants used by South-Western local healers with a view to establish the effects of various doses on serum levels of leutinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, progesterone and estradiol using animal models. Three different concentrations of the extract were prepared according to the body weights of rabbits:20 mg kg~(-1) mL~(-1) (low dose), 40 mg kg~(-1) mL~(-1) (medium dose) and 80 mg kg~(-1) mL~(-1) (high dose). Twenty female Dutch-white rabbits were divided into four groups of five rabbits each on the basis of uniform average weight. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were dispensed with low dose, medium dose and high dose of the extract respectively while group 4 was served none being the untreated control. After twenty one days of administration of extract, the animals were fasted overnight, anaesthetized with diethyl ether and blood sample collected for hormonal assay. The level of progesterone was reduced in low dose and medium dose groups but significantly increased in high dose group relative to control. The level of estradiol was significantly reduced in all the three groups relative to control. There was a decrease in luteinizing hormone level in medium dose and high dose groups but no effect on low dose group relative to control. Follicle stimulating hormone level was reduced in all the three groups relative to the control. The result showed the effect of the decoction to be dose-dependent and it has the potential to cause hormonal imbalance.