The Effects Of Standardised Extract Of Eurycoma Longifolia Jack (Taf 273) On The Female Rat Reproductive System
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Date
2011-10
Authors
Abdulghani, Mahfoudh al-Musli Mohammed
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Abstract
Eurycoma longifolia Jack has shown promising pharmacological effects on the male
reproductive system. A fraction of methanol extract, TAF 273 has shown improvement
of male rat fertility and an increment in sperm numbers significantly. The objectives
of the present studies are to test the hypothesis that TAF 273 could improve ovulation
and other reproductive functions such as pregnancy outcome and sexual behaviour
in female rats. TAF 273 was administered to female rats in various physiological and
pathological states and several parameters were assessed for its biological effects.
The results showed that TAF 273 significantly (p<0.01) increased ovulation in
normal fertile (7.4 1.4) and hypofertile rats (11.0 4.6) compared with the control
(5.6 1.4 and 3.4 1.5, respectively). It caused significant (p<0.001) improvement in
the sexual behaviour of hypofertile rats; in rats treated with TAF 273, the lordosis
quotient percentage after treatment was 86.9% compared with 22.7% before treatment.
TAF 273 showed also significant protection against the detrimental effects of estradiol
valerate (2 mg/rat) on ovarian and uterine tissues in polycystic ovarian rats.
Moreover, TAF 273 significantly improved (p<0.05) the regularity of the oestrous
cycle (OC), as well as pregnancy indices in testosterone-induced polycystic ovaries
in rats; the rats treated with testosterone+TAF 273 (62.5%) and testosterone-treated rats
(37.5%) exhibit normal OC. The pregnancy indices of rats treated with testosterone+TAF 273 and the testosterone-treated rats were 80% and 36.0%
respectively. TAF 273 also caused a significant (p<0.001) increase in the level of urine
oestrogen in the proestous stage of the OC in the normal (14.0 1.9 ng/mg of
creatinine) and hypofertile rats (2.9 0.6 ng/mg of creatinine); before treatment,
the hormone levels were 5.4 0.6 and 1.6 0.3 ng/mg of creatinine, respectively.
These biological effects of TAF 273 on female reproductive system function may be
attributed to its antioestrogenic property. Using uterotrophic assay, TAF 273 caused
significant (p<0.05) uterine weight reduction in immature females. Finally, the
standardised extract of TAF 273 used in this study was confirmed to contain
significant amounts of quassinoids. The major active constituents were
eurycomanone (15.3%; w/w), 13a(21)-dihydroeurycomanone (12.4%; w/w) and
13a(21)-epoxyeurycomanone (2.8%; w/w).
The effects of E. longifolia, as shown in the present study indicate that E. longifolia
Jack and its quassinoids may improve female fertility. This improvement in female
fertility may be due to the antioestrogenic activity of the quassinoids contained in
TAF 273.
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Keywords
Generative organs , Infertility