Journal of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
(ISSN: 2659 – 0743)
Volume 6, No. 1, 2024
Pages 43-52
DOI: 10.36108/jvbs/4202.60.0140
Effects of Oral Administration of Petroselinum Crispum (Parsley) on Serum Estrogen Concentration and Ovarian Histology of Female Albino Rats
Enefe, N.G1 ; Iyiola, E1 ; Ejeh, S.A1 ; Adeyemo B.T2
1Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
2Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Petroselinum crispum (Parsley) is a green leafy vegetable and an aromatic herb employed in traditional medicine for the treatment of different diseases, such as hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiac disease, urinary disease, dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea. This study was designed to investigate the effect of oral administration of the ethanol leaf-extract of P. crispum on the estrogen hormone concentration and the histology of the ovaries of female albino rats. Fresh parsley leaves were collected and prepared. Extraction was carried out by the use of Soxhlet extraction technique. Twenty (20) female albino rats with average body weight (117-228 g) were divided into four groups each comprising five animals. The ethanol leaf extract was administered orally for 14 days in varying doses of 500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg body weight (bw) to rats in Group B, C and D, respectively, while rats in Group A, were administered l ml of distilled water as control. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of tannins, phenols, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, volatile oils, and alkaloids while cardiac glycosides was absent. Result from the hormonal analysis showed that there was significant increase in the estrogen hormone concentration at P <0.05 in the lowest dose of 500 mg/kg bw (2.415+0.045 *10-3 μ mol/ml) when compared with the control Group A (2.208 + 0.03*10-3 μ mol/ml). Histopathological evaluation of the ovary revealed atrophy of the ovarian tissue and poor follicular development was observed at the highest dose of the plant extract (2000 mg/kg bw) only. Conclusively, it was observed that the plant has a toxic effect at the highest dose of 2000 mg/kg bw. Therefore, its use in enhancing reproduction in female animals should be done with caution.
Keywords: Estrogen, Ovarian, Petroselium crispum, Parsely, Histology