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An etheral extract of Kamala (Mallotus philippinensis (Moll.Arg) Lam.) seed induce adverse effects on reproductive parameters of female rats.

Thakur SC, Thakur SS, Chaube SK, Singh SP

Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, DBS College, Dehradun, 248003, Uttaranchal, India.

The present study was designed to investigate the adverse effects of indigenous Kamala seed etheral extract on various reproductive parameters of female rats. Animals were treated with various doses (50, 75 and 100 mg/kg body weight, (bw)) of seed extract through gavage for 30 days. Treatment with a higher dose of seed extract (100mg/kg bw) significantly reduced serum levels of FSH, LH and estradiol. At this dose level, relative weights of ovary and uterus was significantly reduced, whereas lower doses (75 and 50 mg/kg bw) did not show any untoward effect. Qualitative analysis regarding histology of ovary revealed reduction in the developing follicles and an increase in the atretic follicles in treated animals as compared to the untreated. Kamala seed extract-induced follicular atresia was further supported by immunoblot/densitometry analysis that ovarian lysate from treated animal had 2.5 times more bax protein expression compared to control ovaries. The number of ovulated eggs and corpora lutea per animal were reduced significantly. Similarly, higher doses of seed extract reduced number of oestrous cycle, whereas the length of cycle was increased significantly. The oestrous and proestrous phases were reduced, while metestrous and diestrous phases were significantly increased. When the females treated with Kamala seed extract were mated with non-treated males, rate of infertile mating increased in a dose-dependent manner with reduced pregnancy rate and number of implantation sites. Taken together, these data indicate that Kamala reduced serum FSH and LH levels probably by affecting hypothalamic/pituitary axis in treated animals. Thus, reduced levels of FSH and LH and estradiol might have affected the follicular development, quality and number of ovulated eggs, corpora lutea formation, oestrous cycle, establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in treated rats.

Published 5 April 2005 in Reprod Toxicol, 20(1): 149-56.
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