A Comparison of the Effect of Saffron and Crocin Extract on Sex Hormones in Male Rats with Alzheimer's Disease
Subject Areas : Open Access
Tahereh Jaydari fard
1
,
Ali Asghar Pilehvarian
2
1 - Department of Physiology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
2 - Department of Biology, Isfahan Branch, Payame Noor University, Isfahan, Iran
Keywords: Crocin, saffron, sex hormones, Alzheimer's,
Abstract :
Abstract Introduction: Previous studies have shown that Alzheimer's disease can lead to dysfunction of sex hormones; however, consumption of antioxidant foods can prevent it. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of saffron extract and crocin on sex hormones in male rats with Alzheimer's disease. Materials and methods: This experimental study included 32 rats with Alzheimer's disease in four groups of 1) control 2) sham, 3) saffron and 4) crocin. Each group consisted of eight series. The third and fourth Groups received 25 mg/kg of saffron and crocin peritoneally daily for eight weeks. Serum levels of FSH, LH and testosterone were measured by ELISA. To analyze the data, the groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc tests at a significance level of p < /em> < 0.05. Findings: Saffron had a significant effect on increasing FSH (P=0.001), LH (P=0.002) and testosterone (P=0.001). Like saffron, crocin had a significant effect on increasing testosterone (P=0.001), however, saffron’s effect was greater on increasing testosterone than that of crocin (P=0.001). Conclusion: Although crocin can improve serum testosterone levels in rats with Alzheimer's disease, saffron seems to have better effects on increasing sex hormones in Alzheimer's rats than crocin. Keywords: Saffron, Crocin, Alzheimer's, Sex Hormones Extended abstract Introduction Increased life expectancy is associated with specific problems and diseases of old age. One of the major problems of this period is the prevalence of dementia. One of the most common dementias is Alzheimer's. Symptoms of Alzheimer disease include memory loss, judgment, reasoning, changes in mood and behavior, cognitive decline, memory impairment, sleep disorders, and personality and mood changes (2). In relation to Alzheimer's disorders, it has been shown that testosterone levels in people with advanced Alzheimer disease are significantly reduced as a sign of the progression of the disease (3). It has been reported that proper nutrition can improve Alzheimer's disorders to some extent, so the use of herbs can be effective in this regard. Saffron with the scientific name of Crocus sativus belongs to the lily family. Low-dose saffron is recommended for the treatment of pertussis, asthma, colds, menstrual pain, irregular menopause, infertility, inflammation, depression, headache, sore throat and nausea (7). Considering the improving effects of saffron and its active ingredients, the present study aimed to investigate and compare the effect of saffron extract and crocin on the sex hormones of male rats with Alzheimer disease. Materialsand methods In this experimental study, 32 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were purchased and kept in the laboratory for one week to be adapted to the new environment. Then, on the eighth day, the rats were injected intra- peritoneally with 8 mg/kg of trimethylettin chloride (TMT) (14) .After four days, its complete effect on the hippocampus was confirmed. Alzheimer patients were randomly divided into four groups of 1) control 2) sham, 3) saffron and 4) crocin. There were eight series in each group. Rats in groups 3 and 4 received 25 mg/kg of saffron and crocin peritoneally daily for eight weeks. To prepare crocin, 0.1 g of crocin by the name of Sigma Aldrich and Cat-No: 17024-4G was dissolved in 100 cc of normal saline and injected intra- peritoneally into rats at a dose of 25 mg/kg (8) Also, to prepare saffron extract, 9.2 g of saffron was poured into 1000 cc of distilled water and the mixture was incubated for 16 hours at 50 ° C. Then the solution was passed through a strainer and stored at 4 ° C. During the injection it was injected at a dose of 25 mg / kg peritoneally (9). At the end of the study, 48 hours after the last injection of saffron and crocin, rats were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine. Blood samples were taken directly from the left ventricle of rats to measure the research variables. Serum levels of FSH and LH as well as serum testosterone levels were measured using a hormone test kit (Radim Italy) and a German IBL hormone test kit by ELISA respectively. The Shapiro-wilk test was used to identify a normal distribution. Also, One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey’s post- hoc test were performed (P≤0.05) for statistical analysis. Findings The results of one-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the serum levels of FSH, LH and testosterone among the four groups of the study (P=0.001). The results of Tukey’s post- hoc test showed that there was no significant difference in the serum levels of FSH (P=0.87), LH (P=0.94) and testosterone (P=0.99) between the control and sham groups ,though, serum FSH in saffron group was significantly higher than that of control and crocin groups (P=0.001);in addition, serum LH levels in saffron group were significantly higher than control group (P=0.002); moreover, serum testosterone levels in the saffron (P=0.001) and crocin (P=0.002) groups were significantly higher than the control group. Also, the saffron group was significantly higher than the crocin group (P=0.001). Discussion The results of the present study showed that saffron had a significant effect on increasing FSH, LH and testosterone in rats with Alzheimer disease. The results of Modarresi et al.'s study showed that daily consumption of 25 and 50 mg per kg of body weight does not have a significant effect on increasing testosterone, FSH and LH hormones (6). However, consumption of 100 mg per kg of body weight leads to a significant increase in rats. Therefore, it seems that the dose of saffron consumption as well as the basal levels of sex hormones can be effective in saffron consumption. It has been reported that saffron ingredients such as crocin and crocetin can inhibit total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, malondialdehyde and increase the thickness of the aortic end layer as well as nitric oxide levels (13). The results of the present study also showed that crocin had a significant effect on increasing testosterone in rats with Alzheimer disease. Crocins, which are glycosides composed of carotenoids called crocins and sugars, are responsible for the color of saffron (18). Researchers believe that saffron and its ingredients can induce their metabolic and anti-necrotic regulatory effects by increasing antioxidants. Also in the present study, saffron had a greater effect on increasing testosterone in Alzheimer rats than crocin. Therefore, it seems that saffron can have more favorable effects on improving testosterone than crocin in Alzheimer disease. Conclusion Although crocin can improve serum testosterone levels in rats with Alzheimer disease, saffron seems to have better effects on increasing sex hormones than crocin in Alzheimer rats. Ethical Considerations Compliance with ethical guidelines The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Marvdasht Branch of Islamic Azad University. Funding Isfahan Branch of Payame Noor University. Authors' contributions Design and conceptualization: Tahereh Jaydari fard, Ali Asghar Pilehvarian; Methodology and data analysis: Tahereh Jaydari fard; Supervision and final writing: Ali Asghar Pilehvarian. Conflicts of interest The authors declared no conflict of interest.
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