Evaluation of the efficacy of different sources of omega-3 fatty acids in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) induced rats.

The study was planned to check the beneficial effects of various sources of omega-3 fatty acids (synthetic, flaxseed oil, fish oil) on 45 Wistar female rats. The rats were divided into five groups and assigned to different diets i.e. NC (Negative control), PC (Positive control), SO (Synthetic omega-3 250mg/kg/orally/daily), FO (flaxseed oil 250mg/kg/orally/daily) and F (fish oil 250mg/kg/orally/diet). Animals fed on different diets were induced PCOS by an intramuscular (IM) injection of estradiol-valerate (4mg/rat/IM) except NC group. Results of the lipid profile indicated that F showed highest increase in HDL level (35.67±1.45), while cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, blood glucose and body weight were reduced in all three treatment groups. In case of a hormonal profile, testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and insulin levels showed a significant reduction after treatments. It can be concluded form the study that different sources of omega-3 fatty acids can be a new approach to treat the symptoms of PCOS.

Dietary supplementation of bitter gourd reduces the risk of hypercholesterolemia in cholesterol fed sprague dawley rats.

Functional and health endorsing benefits of various foods are often attributed to their phytochemistry. The bitter gourd holds potential in improving the health of the individuals owing to its incredible versatility in phytochemistry. However, the efficacy of different parts of bitter gourd needs attention of the researchers. In the current exploration, different parts of bitter gourd were evaluated for their cholesterol lowering potential in cholesterol fed Sprague dawley rats. For the purpose, four types of bitter gourd part i.e. whole fruit, seedless fruit, seeds, and seed extracts were used and compared with placebo in hypercholesterolemic rats. In placebo, momentous increase in serum cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels was observed. All parts attenuate the cholesterol 18.79 to 40.17% triglycerides 25.97 to 37.01% and LDL 14.49 to 26.09%. However, 1% extract powder was most effective in reducing the cholesterol and triglycerides. From the present study, it is deduced that bitter gourd extract can be supplemented in food products for the management of hypercholesterolemia. However, future studies in human subjects needs to be conducted for meticulousness of the present findings.