Effect of hydroalcoholic palm meristem extract on the serum hormone testosterone, estradiol and gonadotropin in male rats

Introduction:Infertility is one of the common problems in human societies. In traditional medicine, medicinal herbs are used for infertility treatment. One of the herbs different parts of which are useable for clinical purposes is palm. This study investigated the effect of the palm meristem extract on the serum level testosterone, estradiol and gonadotropin hormones in the male rat.Material and Methods:In this study, we used 96 adult male Westar rats, with a weight range of 300 -280 g and age range of 2.5 to 3 months. The rats were randomly divided into eight groups. The control group received the standard food and water and the experimental groups received 25,50,100,150,200,250 mg doses of palm meristem orally for 28 days. Blood samples were obtained from all the groups. Hormones were measured by RIA. The results were analyzed using SPSS software and one-way analysis test.Results:The results showed that the serum level of testosterone in the experimental groups receiving the palm meristem extract ascompared to the control and shame groups decreased significantly (P <0.05). Also, the hormone level of estradiol in the experimental groups receiving the high doses of palm meristem extract ascompared to the control and shame groups decreased significantly (P <0.05). The difference between the serum level of gonadotropin hormones (LH, FSH) in the experimental groups compared to the control group was not significant.Conclusion:The results showed that the palm meristem extract, fetoestrol, probably due to the reduction of cholesterol and its anti-androgen effect, reduces the testosterone and estradiol hormones but it has no effect on gonadotropin.