Preventive Effects of an Extract of Erythrina Lysistemon (Fabaceae) on Some Menopausal Problems: Studies on the Rat

Abstract

Objective - Our purpose was to determine the advantage of early treatment (before ovariectomy) on a preventive basis of an ethyl acetate extract of Erythrina lysistemon (EL) on menopausal signs, an extract which has previously shown estrogenic activity by acting through the oestrogen receptors.Methods - Female Wistar rats aged 1-1.5 month were randomised in groups and treated respectively from 28 days before ovariectomy to 84 days after. The fasting lipids levels, glucose tolerance, bone and uterine weight, uterine and vaginal epithelial height were determined at days 0, 28, 56 and 84; whereas body weight was determined every forth night.Results - Oral administration of 200mg/kg/d of EL significantly increased HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels on days 0 and 28 and decreased them at days 56 (70%) and 84 (48.27%) compared to untreated ovariectomized rats. It also significantly increased bone weight. Further, EL at day-56 controlled glucose intolerance; but it failed to do so at day-84 and significantly increased blood glucose level. At day 0, EL significantly decreased uterine weight of animals as well as E1. In contrast 28 days after ovariectomy, EL significantly increased uterine weight (36.43%), uterine (19.71%) and vaginal (31.76%) epithelial height with a more advance vaginal cornification compared to controls.Conclusion - These results suggest that oral administration of 200mg/kg/d of EL 28 days before ovariectomy prevented bone loss. EL had a transient effect on glucose intolerance. However EL significantly increased HDL-cholesterol and decreased TG levels.