Reproduction Abstracts

Different hormones have been tried to increase embryonic survivability with inconsistent results. Plant based treatment plays positive role in enhancing reproductive functions, acting as precursors for different signalling molecules and influencing cell processes in humans as well as animals, but lacks scientific validation. Effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of flax seed on PGE₂ modulation by buffalo endometrial stromal cells was studied. Buffalo stromal cells were isolated by double enzymatic digestion and cultured till confluence. Cytotoxic effect was studied using MTT assay. Stromal cells were treated with different dose of aqueous (78.1, 39.0, 19.5, 9.7, 4.8 and 2.4 μg/ml) and ethanolic extract (19.5, 9.7, 4.8, 2.4 and 1.2 μg/ml), keeping positive and normal control. Mean PGE₂ concentration with different aqueous extracts concentration was significantly higher (P<0.01) as 573.02±3.24, 598.41±2.60, 633.98±3.27, 639.97±2.88, 687.36±1.76, 698.19±1.63 pg/μg protein, respectively than control (503.83±1.79) and positive control (511.82±5.20). PGE₂ concentration was also significantly higher (P<0.01) with different ethanolic extract concentration as observed 511.23±0.80, 594.24±3.01, 623.74±2.84, 612.81±1.38, 639.7±2.90 pg/μg protein, respectively than control. Findings revealed maximum PGE₂ production with 2.4 μg/ml aqueous extracts, exhibited 1.39-fold increase followed by 1.2 μg/ml concentration of ethanolic extracts, shown 1.27-fold increase. Both extracts significantly increased PGE₂ production by buffalo stromal cells in vitro might be due to PUFA rich fraction of flax seed, hold promise to enhance embryonic survival thus fertilty in future.