TITLE:
Effects of the Mixture of Erigeron floribundus (Asteraceae) and Tragia benthamii (Euphorbiaceae) on the Growth and Architecture of Estrogen-Sensitive Sexual Organs
AUTHORS:
Gladis Komguep Djuidje, Esther Ngadjui, Aimé Césaire Momo Tetsatsi, Georges Romeo Bonsou Fozin, Pierre Watcho
KEYWORDS:
Estrogen, Erigeron floribundus, Rat, Sexual Organs, Tragia benthamii
JOURNAL NAME:
Pharmacology & Pharmacy,
Vol.12 No.12,
December
7,
2021
ABSTRACT: The mixture of Erigeron floribundus and Tragia benthamii (AEMEFTB) is traditionally used against
pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and female sexual dysfunctions. In a recent study, we
showed that the aqueous extract of the mixture of AEMEFTB suppresses the endometrium growth in rats with experimental endometriosis. The present study was aimed at investigating the effects
of AEMEFTB on estrogen’s sensitive sexual
organs growth and architecture. Immature gonado-intact female rats were
randomly distributed into 7 groups of 5 animals
each and daily treated during one week with either distilled water (10 ml/kg),
refined palm oil (1 ml/kg) or 17β-estradiol
(1 μg/day). Plant extract groups received aqueous extract of AEMEFTB at 130 or 260 mg/kg. The remaining
groups were co-administered with 17β-estradiol
(1 μg) plus 130 or 260 mg/kg of the plant mixture.
Moreover, thirty-five immature female rats were bilaterally ovariectomized,
then left and treated as before. Five other females, considered as sham animals, orally received distilled water (10 ml/kg).
The body weight of each animal was
recorded daily and at the end of the treatment (day 8), animals were sacrificed under anesthesia, and the vaginas, uteruses and ovaries (if any) were
collected for analysis. Treatment with AEMEFTB did not affect the ovarian weight and architecture in gonado-intact
immature female rats. However, a moderate increase of the uterine weight was recorded in animals treated with
plant mixture at the high dose (260 mg/kg). On the contrary, a drop in
the uterine growth index and total plasmatic proteins was observed
in immature females co-administered with the
extract and estradiol. Results from this work showed that
the mixture of Erigeron floribundus and Tragia benthamii possesses a weak
but observable estrogen-mimetic potential.