Effect of white Kwao Krua (Pueraria mirifica) on fertility in adult female and male mice

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Pueraria mirifica (PM) on fertility in male and female mice. Mice were divided into 4 groups (10 mice/group in males and 36 mice/group in females). Groups 1-3 were administered by gastric gavages of PM at doses of 0, 10 and 100 mg/kg. BW/day in 0.2 ml distilled water, respectively, and group 4 was subcutaneously injected with a synthetic estrogen (diesthylstilbestol; DES) at 200 µg/kg.BW/day. The treatment schedule was separated into 2 periods: treatment and post-treatment. The duration in each period was 8 weeks. In female mice, PM at 10 mg/kg.BW/day increased the mating efficiency and pregnancy rate for 33.33 and 66.66%, respectively. But the higher dose of PM (100 mg/kg. BW/day) and the DES treatment decreased those parameters. The weights and relative weights of the uterus and ovary in both PM and DES groups were not different from the DW group. When the histological examinations of uterus and ovary have been done, it, however, found that the endometrium thickness in uterus and number of growing follicles in ovary of mice treated with 100 mg/kg. BW/day of PM and DES were increased and decreased, respectively. Changes of those uterus and ovary histology were related to the reduction of LH and FSH levels. However, the decrease of E2 levels was found only in DES group. In male mice, both doses of PM had no effects on mating efficiency, pregnancy rate in mated females, testis weight, sperm number, and levels of LH, FSH and T, but 100 mg/kg. BW/day of PM reduced the sperm motility and viability. DES injection could reduce all those parameters. However, if PM or DES treated father or mother mice could produce offspring, no malformation was found. From this study, it can recommend that 10-PM should be applicable to human use, and at the same dose of PM, the females show a greater degree of response on fertility than males. The recovery of mice on fertility after receiving the phytoestrogens is faster than after receiving the synthetic estrogen.