Abstract

EFFECT OF MELIA AZEDARACH L.ON NICOTINE INDUCED HORMONAL CHANGES IN FEMALE ALBINO RATS

Bhuvaneswari Karunakaran and V.Elango

Abstract

Tobacco use has reached the proportion of a global epidemic. Studies show that there is an association between nicotine of cigarette smoke and serum levels of sex hormones. This investigation was done to determine the nicotine induced toxicity (subcutaneously injected at the dosage of4mg/kg b.wt. per day for 30 days) on different tissues of female albino rats and corresponding ameliorative observations of Melia azedarach L. (orally administered at dose of 100 mg per kg b.wt. per day during the treatment). Nicotine causes significant changes in the organ weight (ovary and uterus) and depletion of proteins and alteration of cholesterol. Nicotine affects the production of female hormones more significantly. Melia azedarach effectively ameliorates the deleterious effect of nicotine.

Keywords: Nicotine, LH, FSH, Estrogen and Progesterone,ovary