Common vegetables show promise against fibroid-linked reproductive damage —Study

Researchers have reported that a combination of five common Nigerian vegetables may help balance reproductive hormones and protect the womb and ovaries from damage associated with the development of fibroids.

In a new study, researchers found that the vegetable blend, administered to female rats exposed to monosodium glutamate (MSG), reversed some of the hormonal disturbances and tissue changes observed in the animals.

According to the researchers, treatment with the vegetable blend improved reproductive hormone levels and helped preserve ovarian and uterine tissues in the experimental animals.

The study, published in the Journal of Phytomedicine and Therapeutics, investigated the effects of a Nigerian Indigenous Vegetable Blend (NIVB) on MSG-induced uterine leiomyoma, commonly known as fibroids.

The blend comprised equal parts of extracts from Telfairia occidentalis (fluted pumpkin), Celosia argentea, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Amaranthus hybridus, and Solanum macrocarpon.

Celosia argentea is commonly known as Lagos spinach or soko (sokoyokoto) in Yoruba. Crassocephalum crepidioides is commonly known as ebolo in Yoruba, while Amaranthus hybridus is known as tete or efo tete in Yoruba and African spinach in English.

Solanum macrocarpon, a popular African eggplant and leafy vegetable cultivated and eaten in Nigeria, is commonly known as efo igbagba (igbagba) in Yoruba and African eggplant in English.

The researchers said the findings raise the possibility that indigenous vegetables could provide a source of bioactive compounds with potential reproductive health benefits, although they stressed that the results remain at the preclinical stage.

Uterine fibroids are benign tumours that develop from the smooth muscle of the womb and are common among women of reproductive age. Depending on their size and location, they can cause heavy menstrual bleeding, painful periods, anemia, infertility, and miscarriage.

According to the researchers, hormonal imbalance, oxidative stress, and inflammation are among the factors associated with fibroid development.

They noted that growing interest in plant-based therapies for reproductive health is partly driven by concerns over the side effects and limitations of some conventional treatments.

For the study, the researchers used 15 healthy female albino rats weighing between 190 and 200 grammes. The animals were divided into three groups of five.

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One group served as the control, while the other two groups were exposed to 800 milligrammes per kilogramme of MSG daily for 30 days.

One of the exposed groups subsequently received 100 milligrammes per kilogramme of the Nigerian Indigenous Vegetable Blend orally for another 30 days.

At the end of the experiment, the researchers measured levels of key reproductive hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), estradiol and testosterone.

They also examined the ovaries and inner lining of the womb under a microscope to assess structural changes.

The researchers reported that MSG exposure altered several reproductive hormone levels. In the treated animals, LH, FSH, and testosterone levels moved closer to normal levels, while estradiol showed only modest improvement.

The researchers said the changes suggested that the vegetable blend had a corrective effect on some of the hormonal disturbances associated with MSG exposure.

The study also found evidence of structural preservation in the reproductive tissues of the treated animals.

Microscopic examination of the ovaries of rats treated with the vegetable blend showed developing follicles at different stages, including secondary and antral follicles.

The ovarian tissue also showed normal connective tissue and luteinized cells, which are important for reproductive hormone production.

The researchers said the presence of developing follicles suggested that the vegetable blend helped preserve follicular development despite the experimental exposure to MSG.

Examination of the uterine tissue showed some changes, including damage and death of cells lining the womb. However, the researchers said the overall findings suggested that the vegetable treatment may have had some protective effects.

They suggested that the constituents of the vegetables could partly explain the observed effects. The vegetables contain a range of phytochemicals that have previously been investigated for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hormone-modulating properties.

Despite the promising findings, the researchers cautioned that the study does not establish the vegetable blend as a treatment for fibroids in humans.

The experiment involved only 15 rats and used a laboratory model of MSG-induced reproductive abnormalities. Results obtained in animals cannot automatically be assumed to occur in women with uterine fibroids.

The researchers also did not establish whether consuming the individual vegetables as food would produce the same effects as the concentrated laboratory extracts used in the experiment.

Further studies will therefore be required to determine the precise mechanisms responsible for the observed effects and establish the appropriate dosage, safety, and effectiveness of the vegetable blend.

Human clinical trials would ultimately be needed to determine whether the findings can be translated into meaningful benefits for women with fibroids.

The researchers suggested that the indigenous vegetable blend could provide a basis for further research into Nigeria’s indigenous vegetables as possible sources of bioactive compounds for reproductive health and fibroid-related conditions.