Keywords
phytoestrogen
phenolphthalein
testis
spermatogenesis.
How to Cite
Abstract
Mechanisms and potencies of phytoestrogens are not completely clarified and they may be considered potential endocrine disruptors, and therefore caution should be exercised while taking them. Eating very high levels of some phytoestrogens may pose some health risks. Reproductive problems have been documented in laboratory animals, farm animals and wildlife that ate very high (up to 100% of their diet) amounts of phytoestrogen-rich plants. Sheep consuming large amounts of clover showed infertility and reproductive disorders. Cheetahs in captivity also had reduced fertility rates when consuming a feline diet composed of a soybean product, which was reversed when it was removed from the diet. Toxicities associated with herbal medicines that include phytoestrogens have also been reported in the literature.
Phenolphthalein a phenolic phytoestrogen has been isolated from the crude ethanol extract of Momordica charantia Linn. seeds. After preparative HPLC whitish amorphous compound was obtained. Its structural elucidation using IR, NMR and Mass spectral data revealed that the molecule isolated from the ethanol extract of M. charantia seeds was surprisingly, phenolphthalein. In order to clarify testicular influence of ethanol extract, fractions and isolated phenolphthalein were treated for sixty days to adult male albino rats. All the treated groups showed statistically significant reduction in testis weight. On histological examinations of testis showed spermatogenic inhibition effect, as the number of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa were significantly decreased.
References
Committee on hormonally active agents in the environment. Board on environmental Studies and toxicology, Commission on life sciences. Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment; National Research Council, National Academy Press: Washington, DC 1999.
Barrett J. Phytoestrogens: Friends or foes? Environmental Health Perspectives 1996; 104: 478-482. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.96104478
Bennetts HW, Underwood EJ, Sheir FLA. A specific breeding problem of sheep on subterranean clover pastures in Western Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal 1946; 22: 2-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1946.tb15473.x
Whitten P, Lewis C, Naftolin F. A Phytoestrogen diet induces the premature anovulatory syndrome in lactationally exposed female rats. Biology of Reproduction 1993; 49: 1117-21. https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod49.5.1117
Chopra RN, Nayar SL, Chopra IC. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. CSIR (Eds.), New Delhi 1956; pp. 31-37.
Zhang QC. Preliminary report on the use of Momordica charantia extract by HIV patients. Journal of Naturopath Medicine 1992; 3: 65-69.
Lee-Huang S, Huang PL, Bourinbaiar AS, Chen HC, Kung HF. Proceedings of National Academy of Science USA 1995; 92: 8818-8822. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.92.19.8818
Bhargava SK. Antifertility agents from plants. Fitoterapia. 1988; LIX (3): 163-177.
Shanranbasappa A, Vijayakumar B, Saraswati BP. Effect of Momordica charanatia seed extracts on ovarian and uterine activities in albino rats. Pharmaceutical Biology 2002; 40: 501-507. https://doi.org/10.1076/phbi.40.7.501.14688
Wyrobek AJ, Bruce WR. Chemical induction of sperm abnormalities in mice. Proceedings of National Academy of Science USA 1975; 72: 4425-432. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.72.11.4425
Sharanabasappa A, Saraswati BP. Effect of benzene extracts of Momardica charantia seeds on reproductive activities in female Albino rats. Proceedings of Journal Medicinal Aromatic Plants Research 2001; 22/4A and 23/1A: 45-48.
Leopold AS, Erwin M. Phytoestrogen: Adverse effects on reproduction in California quail. Science 1976; 191(4222): 98-100. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1246602
Berger PJ, Sanders EH. Phenolic plant compounds functioning as reproductive inhibitors in Microtus montanus. Science 1977; 195 (4278): 575-577. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.319531
Mcclure N, Lewis, Sheena, West, Mhairi, Anderson, Lorraine. Dietary oestrogens and male fertility potential. Human Fertility 2005; 8(3): 197-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647270500030266
Johnson L, Welsh Jr. TH, Wilker CE. Anatomy and physiology of the male reproductive system and potential targets of toxicants. In Sipes IG, McQueen CA, Gandolfi AJ, (Eds.) Comprehensive Toxicology. (Reproductive and endocrine toxicology). John Elsevier Science Inc, NY, USA 1997; 10: 5-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-046884-6.01102-7
Creasy DM. Hormonal mechanisms in male reproductive tract toxicity. In: Harvey PW, Rush KC, Cockburn A, (Eds.), Endocrine and Hormonal Toxicology. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, UK 1999; pp. 355-405.
Creasy DM. Pathogenesis of male reproductive toxicity. Toxicology and Pathology 2001; 29: 64-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/019262301301418865
Ghosh S, Bartke A, Grasso P, Reichert LE Jr, Rassell LD. Structural manifestations of the rat sertoli cell to hypophysectomy a correlative morphometric and endocrine study. Endocrinology 1992; 131: 85-497. https://doi.org/10.1210/endo.131.1.1612030
Lostroch AJ. Effect of follicle stimulating hormone and interstitial cell stimulating hormone on spermatogenesis in Long – Evans rats hypophysectomised for six months. Acta Endocrinology 1963; 43: 592-598. https://doi.org/10.1530/acta.0.0430592
Dorrington JH, Armstrong DP. Follicle stimulating hormone stimulates estradiol-17β synthesis in cultured Sertoli cells. Proceedings of National Academy of Science USA 1975; 72: 2672-2679. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.72.7.2677
Hall PF. Testicular steroid synthesis: Organisation and regulation. In: Physiology of reproducton. (Eds: Knobil, E and Neill, J.D). Reven Press, New York 1994; 1: 1335-1362.
Gaddam P, Glover JD. Some reactions of rabbit spermatozoa to ligation of the epididymis. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 1965; 9: 119-125. https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0090119
Sarkar HBD. Principles of Vertebrate Reproductive Biology, Published by Ganapathy Graphics, Madras 1996; 1: 130-215.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.