The Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Ficus asperifolia (Moraceae) Improve Reproductive Hormones Profile in High Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats

Ficus asperifolia (Moraceae), is a plant used as fertility booster. We investigated the effects of F. asperifolia extracts on sex hormones profile in high-fat diet (HFD)‑induced estrus cycle disturbances in rats. Female Wistar rats were fed either with HFD (n=161) or standard diet (n=8) for 10 weeks. After this period, 70 obese rats with abnormal estrus cycle were distributed into 14 groups of 5 animals each and treated for one and four weeks with distilled water (10 mg kg-1), Tween-80 (5%-10 mg kg-1), lutenyl (0.88 µg kg-1) and aqueous or methanol extract (100 or 500 mg kg-1) of F. asperifolia. At the end of each period, plasmatic estradiol and progesterone levels were determined. Acute toxicity parameters were also evaluated. HFD impaired reproductive hormones profile and estrous cycle after 10 weeks of treatment.F. asperifolia improved reproductive hormone profile by significantly increasing the plasmatic estradiol and progesterone levels. For instance, the plasmatic estradiol and progesterone levels were significantly increased (p<0.05-0.01) in rats treated with the aqueous (100 mg kg-1, four-weeks; 500 mg kg-1, one-week) or methanol (100 and 500 mg kg-1, four-weeks) extract of F. asperifolia. No toxic effects of F. asperifolia extracts were recorded. Our data support the traditional use of F. asperifolia as fertility enhancer