Department of Animal Reproduction & AI, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Center, Cairo 12622, Egypt.
Department of Pharmacology, National Research Center, Cairo 12622, Egypt.
Molecules. 2024 Feb 5;29(3):735. doi: 10.3390/molecules29030735.
The characteristic chemical composition of seeds is directly linked to their beneficial properties. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of seeds using a 100% ethanolic extract using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Additionally, it explored the potential biological effects of the extract on female rat reproduction. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Estrogen (E2), and Progesterone (P4) hormone levels were also assessed, along with the morphological and histological effects of the extract on ovarian, oviductal, and uterine tissues. Molecular docking was performed to understand the extract's activity and its role in regulating female reproduction by assessing its binding affinity to hormonal receptors. Twenty metabolites, including alkaloids, saponins, terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and fatty acids, were found in the ethanolic extract of seeds through the HPLC-ESI-MS/MS study. The seed extract exhibited strong estrogenic and LH-like activities ( < 0.05) with weak FSH-like activity. Furthermore, it increased the serum levels of LH ( < 0.05), P4 hormones ( < 0.001), and E2 ( < 0.0001). Molecular docking results displayed a strong interaction with Erβ, LH, GnRH, and P4 receptors, respectively. Based on these findings, seeds demonstrated hormone-like activities, suggesting their potential as a treatment for improving female fertility.
种子的特征化学成分与其有益特性直接相关。本研究旨在使用 100%乙醇提取物通过 HPLC-ESI-MS/MS 研究种子的植物化学成分。此外，还探讨了提取物对雌性大鼠生殖的潜在生物学影响。研究还评估了卵泡刺激素 (FSH)、促黄体生成素 (LH)、雌激素 (E2) 和孕激素 (P4) 激素水平，以及提取物对卵巢、输卵管和子宫组织的形态和组织学影响。通过评估其与激素受体的结合亲和力，进行分子对接以了解提取物的活性及其在调节女性生殖中的作用。通过 HPLC-ESI-MS/MS 研究，在种子的乙醇提取物中发现了二十种代谢物，包括生物碱、皂苷、萜类、类黄酮、酚酸和脂肪酸。种子提取物表现出很强的雌激素和 LH 样活性（<0.05），而 FSH 样活性较弱。此外，它增加了血清中 LH（<0.05）、P4 激素（<0.001）和 E2（<0.0001）的水平。分子对接结果显示与 Erβ、LH、GnRH 和 P4 受体分别具有强烈的相互作用。基于这些发现，种子表现出类似激素的活性，表明它们有潜力作为改善女性生育能力的治疗方法。
