Biology and Medicine

Abstract

Steroidal and Gonadotropin Hormone Profile Studies of a Classical Ayurvedic Preparation of "Makardhvaja" after Chronic Administration to Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Neshat Masud, Md. Mamun Sikder, Md. Afaz Uddin, Sagor Chandra Roy, Manoth Kumer Biswas, Epsheta Haque, Marjana Khalil and M.S.K. Choudhuri

In this study, the effect of the classical Ayurvedic formulation of Makardhvaja (MD) on steroidal and gonadotropin hormone was evaluated after chronic administration. MD is used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of Rasayan in the rural population. The acute pharmacological test of MD recorded no death or any signs of effectivity even at the highest dose of 80 ml/Kg body weight. For chronic pharmacological evaluation, animals were divided into two groups. The first group was given MD preparation at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight for 28 days while the second group that served as the control received water for the same period. After 28 days of chronic administration of the MD preparation, the following effects on the steroidal hormone panel were noted: There is a statistically significant (p 5 0.040) increase in the serum circulating progesterone level of the male rat. [20.38% increase]. The steroidal hormone indices such as serum circulating dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), serum circulating total testosterone, serum circulating 17-beta-Estradiol (E2) does not change significantly. The significant effects on the gonadotropin hormone profile after chronic administration were thus: There is a statistically significant (p 5 0.047) increase in the serum circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) level of the male rat [76.07% increase]. Serum circulating follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level does not change significantly.