tribulus and Weight-Gain

Tribulus terrestris saponins (TTS) have been longley used as an overall tonic and recent studies showed they influence inflammatory conditions. We examined the ameliorative effect of a commercial formula of a saponin-rich extract of TT in a model of dietary obesity in female rats focusing on their ability to control the inflammatory burden, insulin resistance (IR), adipokine expression and the related reproductive system pathologies. Female rats were fed with high fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks to launch diet-induced obesity; they were assigned as: the obese control female rats (OFR) which received no treatment and TTS (5 and 10 mg/kg/day) treated rats; they were compared to a normal rat group. We determined the IR index, serum/tissue inflammatory cytokines, and adipose tissue adipokine expression and examined the secondary ovarian pathologies. Body weight gain, serum triglycerides and IR (>5-fold) in the OFR group were greater than the normal group; TTS lessened these parameters compared with the OFR group. TTS, at 10 mg/kg dose, ameliorated mRNA expression of leptin and visfatin genes in addition to serum inflammatory cytokine levels. Moreover, TTS corrected the hyperprolactinemia and other hormonal disturbances and ameliorated the ovarian pathologies. This study highlighted that the anti-inflammatory properties of TTS helped in alleviation of IR and body weight gain in OFR. Upon correction of obesity manifestations, the gonadal hormone dysregulations and ovarian pathologies were subsequently ameliorated. We can consider TTS as a promising candidate that may alleviate the inflammatory burden, IR and adipokine expression in obesity and hence prevent the secondary gonadal complications in female subjects if appropriate clinical studies are available.

Topics: Adipokines; Animals; Body Weight; Cytokines; Diet, High-Fat; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Gonadal Disorders; Hyperprolactinemia; Inflammation Mediators; Insulin Resistance; Obesity; Plant Extracts; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Saponins; Tribulus; Triglycerides; Weight Gain

Our previous study demonstrated that treatment with Tribulus terrestris (TT) extracts (120 mg/kg) promoted the muscle weight gain and performance of rats undergoing high intensity exercise. The present study was designed to explore the mechanisms underlying the effect of treatment with TT extracts and the involvement of androgens, the androgen receptor (AR), insulin growth factor‑1 (IGF‑1) and the IGF‑1 receptor (IGF‑1R). A total of 32 Sprague‑Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups as follows: Control; TT, treated with TT extracts, E, high intensity exercise; E+TT, high intensity exercise plus TT treatment. The rats of the E and E+TT groups underwent high intensity exercise with a progressively increasing load for 5 weeks, and TT extracts were intragastrically administered in the TT and E+TT rats 30 min prior to training. TT extract composition was analyzed using ultra‑high performance liquid chromatography‑quadrupole‑time of flight mass spectrometry. Testosterone and IGF‑1 plasma levels and AR, IGF‑1R and myosin heavy chain (MHC) protein levels in muscles were determined by ELISA and western blotting, respectively. The saponins tigogenin and diosgenin comprised ~71.35% of the total peak area. Compared with the E group, TT extracts increased the testosterone and IGF‑1 plasma levels, and AR, IGF‑1R and MHC protein levels in the gastrocnemius of rats undergoing high intensity exercise, accompanied with increased body weight and gastrocnemius weight. In conclusion, the effect of TT extracts on the performance of high intensity exercise rats may be attributed to increased levels of circulating testosterone and IGF‑1 and increased AR and IGF‑1R protein expression levels in the gastrocnemius, resulting in increased muscle weight and increased MHC in the gastrocnemius. The present study provided preliminary evidence supporting the use of TT extracts as a dietary supplement for the promotion of skeletal muscle mass increase and the enhancement of athletic performance in humans performing high intensity exercise.

Topics: Androgens; Animals; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Male; Muscle, Skeletal; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Plant Extracts; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptor, IGF Type 1; Receptors, Androgen; Testosterone; Tribulus; Weight Gain

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a major hyperandrogenic disorder. Many drugs prescribed specifically to treat PCOS have side effects; however, previous studies suggest that natural therapeutics including botanicals may be less invasive and equally effective for the management of PCOS.. In the present study, plants were screened for antiandrogenic activity using the RIKILT yeast Androgen bioAssay (RAA). Selected positive plants were subsequently tested for their efficacy against PCOS induced by estradiol valerate (EV) in rat models.. RAA revealed the antiandrogenic property of Nardostachys jatamansi DC (NJ), Tribulus terrestris L. (TT), and Embelia tsjeriam-cottam DC (EJ), whereas Whithania somnifera Dunal (WS), Symplocos racemosa Roxb. (SR), and Helicteres isora L. (HI) exhibited androgenic properties. EJ also exhibited mild androgenic activity and therefore was excluded from further study. EV administration reduced the weight gain and disrupted cyclicity in all rats. NJ and TT extract treatment normalized estrous cyclicity and steroidal hormonal levels and regularized ovarian follicular growth.. The in vitro antiandrogenic activity of plant extracts and their positive effects on different parameters of PCOS were proved in vivo.

Topics: Androgen Antagonists; Animals; Biomarkers; Disease Models, Animal; Estradiol; Estrous Cycle; Female; Nardostachys; Ovarian Follicle; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Progesterone; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Testosterone; Time Factors; Tribulus; Weight Gain

Administration of cadmium (Cd) significantly increased the peroxidation markers such as malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls along with significant decrease in antioxidant markers such as super oxide dismutase and reduced glutathione in liver and kidney tissues. Cadmium also caused a significant alteration in hepatic and renal functional markers in serum viz. total protein, albumin, alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Prominent pathological changes observed in liver were severe vascular and sinusoidal congestion with diffuse degenerative changes and mononuclear infiltration into peripheral areas, while the kidney showed vascular and glomerular congestion, cloudy swelling of tubular epithelium. Coadministration of ethonolic extract of T. terrestris or vitamin E along with Cd significantly reversed the Cd induced changes along with significant reduction in Cd load.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Biomarkers; Cadmium; Ethanol; Kidney; Kidney Function Tests; Lipid Peroxidation; Liver; Liver Function Tests; Male; Plant Extracts; Protective Agents; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Tribulus; Weight Gain