The effects of thylakoid-rich spinach extract and aqueous extract of caraway (Carum carviL.) in letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome rats

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the oral administration of thylakoid-rich spinach extract and the caraway aqueous extract in letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome rats. Methods Sixty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups of 12 animals each. Letrozole (1 mg/kg) was administered orally for a period of 28 days to induce PCOS. Sham and PCOS control rats received 1 mL/day of distilled water, and the three groups of PCOS rats were given 150 mg/kg of metformin, 3 g/kg of caraway, and thylakoid at a dose of 6 mg chlorophyll/gr food intake/day by oral gavage for 8 weeks. Finally, blood samples were collected and the right ovary of rats was removed, weighed, and fixed in 4% buffered formalin to determine the biochemical and stereological parameters. Results Compared to the PCOS control group, consuming metformin, thylakoid, and caraway extracts significantly improved the fasting blood sugar (FBS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), malondialdehyde (MDA), luteinizing hormone (LH), insulin resistance, and body weight, increased the volume of the corpus luteum, and reduced the number of atretic follicles after 8 weeks ( < 0.05). Although caraway treatment caused a significant increase in the HDL-C (High-density lipoprotein cholesterol) level (P < 0.001), no significant change was observed in terms of HDL-C in the thylakoid and metformin groups compared to the PCOS control group. Conclusion Our data showed that the consumption of thylakoid and caraway extracts for 8 weeks may have beneficial effects on the biochemical and stereological factors in PCOS-induced rats.