Estrogenic Activity of Pueraria phaseoloides Roxb. Benth Evaluated in Ovariectomized Rats
This study investigated the potential estrogenic bioactivity of tropical kudzu (Pueraria phaseoloides Roxb. Benth) crude extracts. Three- to five-week old Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and randomly treated 10 days post-OVX with plant extract at 3 doses (1050, 787.5, 525 mg/kg•d) with a positive control of 17ß-estradiol (50µg/kg•d) in corn oil as vehicle for 15 days. Estrogenic activity was determined by analyzing body and uterine weight changes, vaginal cell cornification, uterine morphometry, and histopathology characteristic of estrogen-induced responses. The plant produced a dose-dependent increase in uterine weight and epithelial cell heights. The 2 higher doses of the plant induced differentiation of vaginal cornification in the OVX rats. Estrogenic potency of the plant crude extract used was significantly lower than 17ß-estradiol. Data suggested that the plant crude extract exhibited weak estrogenic effects in immature ovariectomized rat model.
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