Effects of Black Kwao Krua (Mucuna collettii) on serum sex hormone levels and reproductive organs in adult female and male rats

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of power suspension of Mucuna collettii (Mc) on sex hormone levels and reproductive organs in adult cyclic female, adult normal male, bilateral overiectomized (OVX) and bilateral orchidectomized (ODX) rats. Three groups of rats were orally treated with Mc at dosages of 1, 10 or 100 mg/kg/day, and other two groups were orally treated with 0.7 mg/day of distilled water (negative control) or subcutaneously injected with 600 ug/100 g/day of testosterone propionate (TP, positive control) for 30 days, respectively. In female rats, 100 mg/kg/day of Mc increased E2 levels in cyclic females and 10 mg/kg/day of Mc decreased LH levels in OVX females. No changes of weights and histology of reproductive organs and vaginal cytology after Mc treatment in both cyclic and OVX females were observed. However, the estrous cycle tended to be prolonged (5.40±0.11 days. P = 0.058) in 100 mg/kg/day of Mc-treated cyclic rats. In male rats, all three dosages of Mc did not affect on levels of T, LH and FSH, and the weights and histology of reproductive organs in both normal and ODX males. But the prominent changes in those parameters were found in both sexes of rats, including normal and castrated rats, after TP treatment. From this study, it can conclude that treatment of Mc at dosages of 10-100 mg/kg/day for 30 days seems to change the sex hormone levels and reproductive organs in female, but not male, rats. Possibly, the dosage for treatment is too low or the duration of treatment is too 0short. Changes on those parameters for the further research on Mc are therefore become an interesting point.