Majeed Iqra, Nisa Mahr Un, Rahim Muhammad Abdul, Ramadan Mohamed Fawzy, Al-Asmari Fahad, Alissa Mohammed, Zongo Eliasse
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan.
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences Times Institute Multan Pakistan.
Food Sci Nutr. 2025 Jan 13;13(1):e4692. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.4692. eCollection 2025 Jan.
Seed cycling therapy (SCT) involves the consumption of specific seeds during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle to help balance reproductive hormones. This study aimed to investigate the effects of SCT on healthy female Wistar albino rats to prevent hormonal imbalances. For SCT, a seed mixture (SM1) consisting of flax, pumpkin, and soybeans (estrogenic seeds) was administered at doses of 5.4, 4, 8, and 12 g per 100 g of diet during the non-estrous phase. Another seed mixture (SM2) comprising sunflower, sesame, and chickpeas (also estrogenic) was given at doses of 3.12, 8, and 8 g per 100 g during the estrous phase. A total of 36 female Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups, each containing nine rats: Basal diet, seed cycling 1, seed cycling 2, and seed cycling 3 (SC). All diets were isocaloric and iso-nitrogenous. The results showed that body weight, feed intake, and water consumption were significantly decreased in the SC group ( < 0.05), with increased nutrient digestibility. The tested diets led to significant positive changes in levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, high-density lipoproteins (HDL-c), low-density lipoproteins (LDL-c), LDL-c/HDL-c ratio, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase across both phases of the cycle. There was also a notable increase in estrogen, testosterone, prolactin, and insulin levels ( < 0.05). Ovarian histology results showed normal morphology in the SC group, suggesting that this dosage was the most effective. The findings indicate that further studies are warranted to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying phytoestrogen action during reproductive stages.
种子循环疗法（SCT）是指在月经周期的卵泡期和黄体期食用特定的种子，以帮助平衡生殖激素。本研究旨在调查种子循环疗法对健康雌性Wistar白化大鼠的影响，以预防激素失衡。对于种子循环疗法，在非发情期，以每100克饮食5.4、4、8和12克的剂量给予由亚麻籽、南瓜籽和大豆（具有雌激素作用的种子）组成的种子混合物（SM1）。在发情期，以每100克3.12、8和8克的剂量给予另一种由向日葵籽、芝麻和鹰嘴豆（同样具有雌激素作用）组成的种子混合物（SM2）。总共36只雌性Wistar白化大鼠被分为四组，每组九只：基础饮食组、种子循环1组、种子循环2组和种子循环3组（SC）。所有饮食的热量和氮含量均相同。结果表明，SC组的体重、采食量和饮水量显著降低（<0.05），营养物质消化率提高。在整个周期的两个阶段，所测试的饮食导致促卵泡生成素、促黄体生成素、高密度脂蛋白（HDL-c）、低密度脂蛋白（LDL-c）、LDL-c/HDL-c比值、天冬氨酸转氨酶和丙氨酸转氨酶水平发生显著的积极变化。雌激素、睾酮、催乳素和胰岛素水平也有显著升高（<0.05）。卵巢组织学结果显示SC组形态正常，表明该剂量最为有效。研究结果表明，有必要进一步研究探索生殖阶段植物雌激素作用的潜在遗传机制。
