Evaluating the oestrogenic activities of aqueous root extract of Asparagus africanus Lam in female Sprague-Dawley rats and its phytochemical screening using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)

Asparagus africanus Lam. is a plant used traditionally for natal care. This study evaluates the oestrogenic activities of aqueous root extract and screens for possible bioactive phytochemicals. Oestrogenicity of A. africanus was evaluated in ovariectomised rats treated with 50, 200, and 800 mg/kgBW doses twice daily for three days. Ethinyl estradiol (EE) 1 mg/kg was used as positive control, and hormonal analysis and gene expression were carried out. The findings demonstrated that the extract produced a dose-dependent increase in the oestrogen levels with a significant increase compared to untreated rats. Pre-treatment with oestrogen receptor antagonist (ORA) prior to A. africanus treatment reversed the trend. Gene expression analysis on rats treated with 200 mg/kgBW A. africanus showed significant (p < 0.005) upregulation of oestrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha), while pre-treating animals with (ORA) significantly (p < 0.005) increased the expression of calbindin 3 (Calb3) in the EE group as compared to the untreated rats. The GC/MS results showed the presence of steroidal saponins such as stigmasterol and sarsasapogenin. These might be the bioactive constituents that exhibited these activities. The oestrogenic properties of A. africanus revealed in this study could contribute to the antifertility properties of the plant. However, further pharmacological studies are required to confirm the antifertility effect.