RESUMO
In the present investigation, the effects of fenugreek [T foenum graecum] administration on the liver and ovarian activity were studied. Seventy two Swiss albino female mice were orally administrated with different doses of fenugreek oil for 10 days. The mode and magnitude of effect was found to be depending on the dose of fenugreek oil and type of tissue. Administration of fenugreek oil at 0.1 and 0.15 ml/ mouse increased the total number of cumulus-oocyte complexes- [COCs] as well as improved their quality. Cytogenetically, fenugreek oil was able to stimulate the oocytes collected from treated mice at different doses to progress in meiosis. Half of the oocytes number collected from female mice treated with fenugreek oil were arrived at GVBD and M I stages. However, most oocytes collected from untreated female mice were still in GV stage. Levels of nucleic acids content in all groups did not significantly change neither in the DNA nor RNA in ovarian- or liver-tissues. Histopathological examination of the ovaries collected from untreated mice as well as from mice treated with 0.05 ml/ mouse of fenugreek oil showed no histopathological alterations. However, ovaries of mice treated with 0.1 or 0.15 ml/ mouse of fenugreek oil showed numerous mature ovarian follicles as well as multiple corpora lutea. According to the available literatures, this is the first study that suggests significant stimulating effects of fenugreek oil on the ovarian activity in mice