Endocrine Abstracts

The aim of our studies was to examine the effect of some food, drink and medical plants and their molecules on female ovarian endocrine and other functions in vitro and in vivo. We analysed the effects of plant (green tea, rooibos, ginkgo, flaxseed, chia, yukka) extracts and plant substances (green tea polyphenols, green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate, curcumin, resveratrol, diadzein and diosgenin) on the release of hormones and markers of proliferation, apoptosis of cultured porcine and rabbit ovarian cells and the rabbit reproductive indexes. It was demonstrated, that green tea, rooibos, ginkgo, flaxseed and chia extracts were able to suppress ovarian cell functions: inhibit the accumulation of proliferation-related peptide (PCNA), promote the expression of apoptosis-associated peptide (Bax) and alter (mainly down-regulated) progesterone, testosterone and leptin release in porcine and rabbit ovarian cells. Furthermore, they prevented the response of these cells to the action of the upstream hormonal regulators (FSH, LH and IGF-I). Pure polyphenols, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, curcumin, resveratrol, and diadzein (but not diosgenin) had similar effects suggesting that the biological activity of plants could be due to the presence of these molecules. Yukka ad curcumin expressed an opposite, stimulatory action on ovarian cell functions. Furthermore, feeding with yukka and curcumin (but not with green tea) promoted rabbit ovarian functions in-vivo (altered ovarian hormones release, increased ovulation rate, fecundity and pups viability). It is concluded, that molecules of some plants widely used for preparation of food, drinks and folk medicine could have direct influence on ovarian functions whose could be due to the alteration in ovarian hormones release and their response to hormonal regulators.