Ameliorating Effects of Phytotherapy on Body Weight and Serum Lipid Profiles in Menopause-Induced Rat Model

Abstract

ObjectivesPhytotherapy-based materials as a natural source of alternatives to estrogen therapy has drawn keen attention for treating menopausal dyslipidemia. The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-menopausal dyslipidemia of herbal medicine extract: Kyung-Ok-Go, which is mixture of Rehmannia glutinosa, Panax ginseng, Wolfiporia extensa and Apis cerana Fabricius, supplementation on body weight and lipid profiles of serum in menopause-induced rats. MethodsTwenty 9-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups after a week adaptation (n = 5 each): Control group (C), Ovariectomized group (OVX), OVX + 17β-Acetylestradiol group (OVX + positive control; OP) and OVX + herb extracts group (OHE). At the age of 10 weeks, bilateral ovariectomy was performed on group OVX, OP and OHE, and two weeks of recovery period was followed. After recovery, all groups were treated with oral gavage administration of distilled water (C, OVX), 50μ/kg b.w. of 17beta-Acetylestradiol (OP) and 1200mg/kg b.w. of herbal extract (OHE) respectively for 9 weeks. Serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) levels were analyzed using ELISA kits and assays were conducted. ResultsAfter oral administration for 9 weeks, the final body weight and body weight gain of OVX, OP and OHE groups increased compared to the control group. However, the final body weight and body weight gain of OP and OHE groups were significantly reduced compared to the OVX group (p = 0.000). In serum biochemical assays, the OHE group showed lower triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels compared with other ovariectomized groups (p = 0.000), and in particular, TG levels were ranked at the same level as the control group (p < 0.005). ConclusionsIn this study, it was confirmed that continuous intake of herbal medicine extracts may ameliorate menopause syndromes such as dyslipidemia, obesity and lipid accumulation at a similar level to hormone therapy like estrogen intake. Moreover, further analysis of finding mechanism of the ameliorating effects is in progress. Funding SourcesThis research was funded by Kwang-dong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd..