Steroidal and gonadotropin hormone profile studies of a classical ayurvedic preparation of “Saraguna Balijarita Makardhwaja” after chronic administration to male Sprague-Dawley rats

Background: Saraguna Balijarita Makardhwaja (SGM) is an Ayurvedic preparation used as a traditional antipyretic in the rural population. This research work was designed to get an overview of steroidal and gonadotropin hormone profiles after chronic administration of this drug. Methods: The acute pharmacological test of SGM recorded no death or any signs of effectivity even at the highest dose of 4000 mg/kg body weight. For chronic pharmacological evaluation, sixteen healthy Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into two groups, one group was a control group and the other was an experimental group. The experimental group was assigned to receive the drug at a dose of 400 mg/kg of body weight orally. After 28 days of treatment, blood samples were collected for biochemical tests. Results: The research showed the following effects on the steroidal and gonadotropin hormone profile. In this study, serum circulating level of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone level, progesterone, 17-beta-estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured to determine safety profile study of SGM after chronic administration. There were no significant differences in any parameters which is suggesting that SGM has no effect of the steroidal and hormone profile. Conclusions: According to studies, SGM has no harmful effect on the steroid and hormone profiles after chronic treatment. Further studies are needed to establish the safety aspects of SGM.