Effect of dietary intake Ashwagandha roots powder on the levels of sex hormones in the diabetic and non-diabetic male rats.

Abstract

2 Abstract: This study was carried out to throw the light on the tested sexual hormones; estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, FSH and LH levels in diabetic and non-diabetic rats, as well to determine the impact of the dietary intake Ashwagandha roots powder for four weeks on the former sexual hormones and on serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in diabetic and non-diabetic rats. The obtained Results illustrated that the dietary intake Ashwagandha roots powder was effective in lowering serum FSH level in Ashwagandha-treated animals compared to controls (p<0.05) in both diabetic and non-diabetic rat groups, whereas progesterone (p<0.05), testosterone (p<0.05) and the LH levels (p<0.001) were significantly higher in non-diabetic Ashwagandha treated animals. The orally intake Ashwagandha roots powder was also able to reverse the reductive effect of diabetes on the progesterone. The estrogen level did not show any significant difference between Ashwagandha treated and untreated rats of either the diabetic or non-diabetic groups. Therefore, the present investigation is showed that Ashwagandha can prevent the diabetes-induced hormonal dysfunction by inhibiting hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemy. It is suggested that Ashwagandha may have a regulatory effect on diabetes-induced change of the levels of gonadal-hormones, especially; progesterone, in male rats. Nevertheless, Ashwagandha is apparently only able to diminish the FSH serum level in intact animals.