Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Dorema aucheri on Pituitary-Gonad Axis Hormones in Adult Male Rats

Dorema aucheri is a plant from Apiaceae family, which has several compounds such as flavonoids and kumarines. Flavonoids have antitumor, anticancer and estrogenic properties. Antiandrogenic properties of kumarines are also known. The aim of this research is to examine the hydroalcoholic extract of Dorema aucheri on serum concentration of main pituitary-gonad axis hormones including LH, FSH, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Fifty adult male wistar rats weighting about 200 to 220 g were divided into five groups of ten. The control group did not receive any drug and sham operation group received an equal volume of normal saline. Other three experimental groups including low (100 mg/kg bw), medium (200 mg/kg bw) and maximum (400 mg/kg bw) received Dorema aucheri hydroalcoholic extract daily for 28 days orally. After 28 days all animals in the different groups were weighed and after anaesthetizing with ether, their blood was collected and serum concentrations of hormones LH, FSH, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were measured by ELISA method. Data were statistically analysed by ANOVA and t-test. The results showed that LH concentrations in all experimental groups significantly increase in comparison to control and sham groups, while FSH concentrations among the different groups did not change significantly. The concentrations of testosterone and DHT in different experimental groups decreased significantly in comparison to control and sham groups. The results of the study indicate that hydroalcoholic extract of Dorema aucheri, due to estrogenic and antiandrogenic properties of flavonoids and kumarines, can change serum concentrations of pituitary-gonad axis hormones.