Effects Of Methanolic Root Extract Of Sphenocentrumjollyanum On Some Female Fertility Hormones In Female Wistar Albino Rats :- Echem, Elizabeth N

ABSTRACT Medicinal plants contain physiologically active principles that have been exploited in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments. Sphenocentrum jollyanum is a medicinal plant known for its potentials in the management ofseveral ailments and has been claimed and supported by several researches to have anti-malarial, anti-microbial and aphrodisiac activity. There has been no information on the effect of the plant on female fertility hormones production. This present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of methanolic root extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum on some female fertility hormones in female Wistar albino rats. The animals were grouped in two; the control group and the treated group that received 400mg/kg body weight of the extract which was administered orally for 14 days at the end of which the animals were sacrificed and their blood was collected for the assay. The effect of the extract on the serum level of estradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormones and prolactin were determined using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The data from the study were analysed using ANOVA at 95% confidence interval. The results showed that the administration of Sphenocentrum jollyanum caused a non-significant (P>0.05) increase in the serum level of estradiol of the treated group (8.70±0.80) compared to the control group (8.52±0.37). The result also showed that there was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the serum level of progesterone of the tested group (9.33±0.54) compared to the control group (10.69±0.25). There was also a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the serum level of follicle stimulating hormone of tested group (6.71±2.12) compared to the control (9.25±3.18). The level of luteinizing hormone also showed a significant (p<0.050) decrease in the tested group (3.21±0.83) compared to the control (4.29±6.97). Non-significant increase was also seen in the level of prolactin (39.70±3.32) compared to the control group (38.47±3.07). The evaluations of this study is indicative of its adverse effect on maturation and ovulation of follicles, impaiiment of fertility and conception in female and thus have great implication on the development offemale contraceptives.