ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Estrogens has traditionally been known as the female hormone, but this idea has been challenged in early 1990’s and an essential physiological role for estrogen in male fertility was identified. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring non-steroidal plant chemicals that can act like the female hormone estrogen. The herbs ( anise alfalfa and vervain ) chosen in this study contain phytoestrogens. OBJECTIVE: Previous studies demonstrated controversy of the effects of phytoestrogens on the rat testes .Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to investigate the influence of typical dose of herbs containing phytoestrogen on the rat testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four apparently normal mature male rats were divided into four groups of 6 animals each. The first "control" group received only 4ml of distilled water as a placebo. The second group received 40mg/kg of anise seed; the third group received 53.3 mg/kg of dried herb of vervain and the fourth group received 400 mg /kg of alfalfa seeds. All experimental groups received the doses through orogastric tube daily for fourteen days. Testicular histology was evaluated by light and enzyme histochemistry. Plasma FSH and testosterone concentrations were taken to support our results. RESULTS: Histological examination of anise, alfalfa and vervain – treated groups showed an increase in the height of germinal epithelia. There was marked lipoprotein lipase activity in the whole of the interstitial tissue which is more in amount in experimental groups than that in control group. Acid phosphatase granules were infiltered the seminiferous epithelia mildly in control group , moderately in anise and vervain groups and markedly in alfalfa group. The number of interstitial cells showing marked acid phosphatase activity was higher in all experimental groups than that in control group. Alkaline phosphatase exhibited intense activity in the boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules in testes of control and experimental groups but it appeared thicker in the latter. CONCLUSION: The low dose and short duration of treatment used in our study made these phytoestrogen – containing herbs to have a stimulatory effect on leydig cell steroidogenesis. This study also demonstrated that aniseed being the most potent of the three herbs followed by alfalfa in stimulating testosterone synthesis. This is possibly attributed to the coumarin constituent of aniseed and alfalfa. KEY WORDS: phytoestrogen-containing herbs, testis, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lipoprotein lipase
The morphological description and histological structure of the
olfactory organ of Parasilurus triostegus (Heckel) have been
investigated. The olfactory organ situated on the dorsal surface of the
head infront of the eye.
It is represented by elongated olfactory sac, in which the
olfactory Lamellae arranged as Rosette- like pattern .
The olfactory sac connected with the olfactory bulb by short olfactory nerve. The olfactory bulb which situated near the olfactory sac connected wi
... Show More A histological study was conducted to examine the structure of rhombencephalon (Cerebellum) in Columba livia gaddi (Gmeiin, 1789). The result showed that the cerebellum is aportion of the brain lying behind the cerebrum, the surface of the cerebellum contains deep folds. The cerebellum consists of two regions a cerebellar cortex that is called gray matter composed of three major layers from the outside to the inside, as follows: molecular layer, Purkinje cells layer and granular layer, the second region of cerebellum called medulla. This is the white matter.
In the present research synthesis and study of biological activity a series of new polymers modified of chitosan with compounds containing azo group. Beginning diazonium salt produced from 3,3'-dimethyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diamine reacted with concentrated HCl acid and sodium nitrite. The coupling reaction between diazonium salt with substituted aromatic aldehyde to produce Azo derivatives )1-6(. Azo Schiff bases Chitosan )7-12( were synthesized by condensation of Chitosan with Azo derivatives )1-6( in ethanol with some drops of glacial acetic acid. The structural modifications of Chitosan ring (linked to a bioactive azo moiety) were expected to give new derivatives )7-12( with a diverse range of biological functions. These compounds' st
... Show MoreIn this research work, synthesis, antimicrobial and antioxidant bioactivity of a chain of compounds having unsaturated ketones bond and isoxazoline moiety have been described. New chalcone derivatives containing isoxazoline moiety have been synthesized. Generally, Chalcones are unsaturated ketones bearing (-CO-CH=CH-) as reactive ketoethylenic group that give the bright yellow colored compounds due to this chromophore group. Firstly, chalcones (IIa-d) have been prepared by cyclocondensation (Claisen-Schmidt condensation) of triphenyl aminobenzaldehyde with different substituted acetophenone in ethyl alcohol to produce a series of chalcones compounds with bright yellow colored as a
... Show MoreBy condensation of benzaldehyde with thiourea in absolute ethanol in the presence of glacial acetic acid as a catalyst, the Schiff base(1-benzylidenethiourea)[I] was synthesized by synthesis of 4-(3-benzylidenethioureido)-4-thioxobut-2-enoic acid compound[II] by reaction of maleic anhydride with schiff base [I] in DMF. When treating compound [II] with ammonium persulfate (NH4)2S2O8 (APS) as an ethanol initiator to obtain polymer [III], compound [III] reacted to polymer [IV] with SOCl2 in benzene. Sulfamethizole, celecoxib, salbutamol, 4-aminoantipyrine to yield polymers [V-VIII], compound [IV] reaction with different drugs. Spectral evidence established the structure of synthesized co
في البحث الحالي تم تحضير ودراسة النشاط الحيوي لسلسلة من البوليمرات الجديدة المحورة من الكيتوسان مع مركبات تحتوي على مجموعة الآزو. في البداية تم تحضير ملح الديازونيوم من تفاعل 3,3'-dimethyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-diamine مع حامض الهيدروكلوريك المركز ونتريت الصوديوم .ثم تفاعل الازدواج بين ملح الديازونيوم مع الديهايدات اروماتية معوضة لإنتاج مشتقات الازو (1-6). ازو شف بيس كيتوسان((12-7 والتي حضرت من تفاعل الكيتوسان مع مشتقات
... Show MorePregnancy is a stressful condition in which many physiological and metabolic functions are altered to a considerable extent . Pregnancy is a physiological state accompanied by a high-energy demand and an increased oxygen requirement. The present study aim to study selenium ,zinc cupper in the first trimester of pregnancy. The study group comprised of Fourty five pregnant women and twenty six non pregnant women as control . The samples were taken from pregnant women who come to several heath center in Baghdad city to cheak up. Laboratory investigations including Cupper, Ceruloplasmin, Total Antioxidant (TAA), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), Zinc, Uric acid, and Selenium had been measured in pregnant women and control . Th
... Show MoreEvidences indicate that human beings were preoccupied with extreme forms of mental and psychic experiences long before they were recorded in literature. Greek myths and legends appear to include symbolizations of delusions, mania, and other bizarre forms of thought and behaviuor. The figure of the mad man or woman is analogous to the wild man, or the imaginary being who appears in various forms throughout western literature and art. Various studies refer to the notion of the wild man as a response to a persistent psychological urge. This urge gives an external expression and a valid form to the impulses of reckless physical self-assertion which is believed to be hidden in all of us, but is normally kept under control. Such impulses were exp
... Show MoreThis study involved the treatment of textile wastewater contaminated with direct blue 15 dye (DB15) using a heterogeneous photo-Fenton-like process. Bimetallic iron/copper nanoparticles loaded on bentonite clay were used as heterogeneous catalysts and prepared via liquid-phase reduction method using eucalyptus leaves extract (E-Fe/Cu@BNPs). Characterization methods were applied to resultant particles (NPs), including SEM, BET, and FTIR techniques. The prepared NPs were found with porous and spherical shapes with a specific surface area of particles was 28.589 m2/g. The effect of main parameters on the photo-Fenton-like degradation of DB15 was investigated through batch and continuous fixed-bed systems. In batch mode, pH, H2O2 dosage, DB15 c
... Show MoreEriobotrya japonica Lindl., named as loquat, is a subtropical fruit tree of the family Rosaceae which is well known medical plant originated in Japan and China. Loquat portions, like leaves, peels and fruits have been shown to possess various health usefulnesses. In Chinese classical medicine, it is vastly utilized in many illnesses, like gastroenteric disorders, diabetes mellitus, pulmonary inflammatory diseases and chronic bronchitis. Loquat plant contain many active constituents, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, polyphenolic compounds, other that have many biological effects like anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, antioxidant, antiviral, antitussive, hepatoprotective and hypoli
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