effect of cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seed extracts on the cyclicity and reproductive hormones of female wistar rats

Introduction: despite the traditional use of cucurbita pepo seed in pregnancy, its effects on female reproduction remain scarce. this study evaluated the impacts of n-hexane, dichloromethane (dcm), and aqueous ethanol extracts of c. pepo seed on the cyclicity and reproductive hormones of female wistar rats. methods: ten groups of four rats received seed extracts or tween 80 orally for 21 days: a (control)= 0.5 ml tween 80 (vehicle); b, c, & d= 142.86, 285.71, and 428.57 mg/kg nhe; e, f, & g= 142.86, 285.71, 428.57 mg/kg of dcm; and h, i, & j= 142.86, 285.71, 428.57 mg/kg of aqueous ethanol extracts, respectively. vaginal cytology monitored the estrous cycle daily, and blood samples were obtained for follicle-stimulating hormone (fsh), luteinizing hormone (lh), estrogen, and progesterone at various oestrus cycle phases. results: compared to the control, the estrous cycle phases did not change significantly (p>0.05). fsh levels significantly increased (p<0.05) with dcm and aqueous ethanol extracts of c. pepo seed during proestrus and estrus phases compared to the control. a significant (p<0.05) increase in lh was observed with n-hexane, dcm, and aqueous ethanol extracts during all estrous cycle phases compared to the control. all extracts significantly increased estrogen levels (p<0.05) during all phases. dcm and aqueous ethanol extracts reduced substantially the estrus-phase progesterone. conclusion: cucurbita pepo may stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in female reproduction. further studies should be conducted using various phytoestrogen compounds to gain useful knowledge about the effectiveness, safety, and long-term effects of c. pepo seed extracts in regulating hormonal balance.