The effect of rhodiola rosea root extract on stress-induced ovarian damage, infertility and reproductive disorders in female rats

Abstract

The effect of rhodiola rosea root extract on stress-induced ovarian damage, infertility and reproductive disorders in female rats B.G. Kadioglu1, B. Gundogdu2, N. Kurt3, A. Ozbek Bilgin4, H. Suleyman4; , Z. Suleyman5 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Regional Training Research Hospital, Health Sciences University, Erzurum (Turkey) 2Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey) 3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan (Turkey) 4Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan (Turkey) 5Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan (Turkey) Summary Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the possible effect of Rhodiola rosea root extract (RRE) on ovarian damage, infertility (IF), delay in conception (DC), decrease in the number of offspring (NO) in female rats that have been stressed with compulsory immobilization method (CIM) and on retardation of intrauterine physical development (IPD) in offspring. Materials and methods: Female Albino Wistar rats were divided like: healthy (HG), stress-induced control (SC), and stress + 50 mg/kg RRE (S + REG) groups including sixteen rats in each group. Six rats from each group were killed for conducting biochemical and histopathological examinations in ovarian tissues and others were observed for IF, DC, NO, and IPD. Results: It was found that RRE significantly prevented the increase in oxidative parameters and proinflammatory cytokine levels in ovarian tissue of animals stressed with CIM. RRE suppressed the increase in IF rate and DC whereas caused a decrease in NO and in IPD retardation. Conclusion: These results suggested RRE may have beneficial effects in the treatment of stress induced reproductive dysfunction. Content: The effect of RRE on oxidative and inflammatory changes in ovarian tissue and reproductive changes of animals exposed to stress with compulsory immobilization method. Key words: Ovarian damage; Stress; Infertility; Rhodiola rosea root.