The effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Achillea millefolium on appetite hormone in rats

Document Type : Short communication

Authors

1 Biochemistry and Nutrition Research Center and Department of Nutrition, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Health Sciences Research Center, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

5 Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

6 6epartment of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD

Abstract


Objective: Achillea millefolium (A. millefolium) is known as an orexigenic herb in Iranian traditional medicine. In this study, the possible orexigenic effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of A. millefolium was investigated by measuring plasma ghrelin level.

Materials and Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Control group received water. Treatment groups received 50, 100 or 150 mg/kg of A. millefolium extract for 7 days via gavage. Before the intervention, daily amount of the food eaten by each rat was measured for 10 days. During the investigation, the amount of energy intake of each rat was also estimated 1, 2, 4, 6 and 24 hr after each intake, for 7 days. Later, the orexigenic dose of extract and distilled water was fed to two separate groups of 6 male Wistar rats. Plasma ghrelin level was measured 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 hr after extract intake.

Results: The change in energy intake after treatment by 50 and 100 mg/kg of the extract was significantly higher than other groups (p<0.001). Administration of Achillea 100mg/kg significantly (p<0.05) decreased ghrelin level one hr after intervention but there was no significant (p>0.05) difference among control and treated group.

Conclusion: This study indicated that A. millefolium had positive dose-related effects on appetite in rats. It seems that the orexigenic activity of extract was not related to changes in plasma ghrelin levels.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Akamizu, T, Iwakura H, Ariyasu H,Kangawa K. 2010a. Ghrelin and functional dyspepsia. Int J Pept, 2010: 1-6.
Akamizu, T,Kangawa K. 2010b. Ghrelin for cachexia. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle, 1: 169-176.
Asakawa, A, Inui A, Kaga O, Yuzuriha H, Nagata T, Ueno N, Makino S, Fujimiya M, Niijima A, Fujino M A,Kasuga M. 2001. Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulatory signal from stomach with structural resemblance to motilin. Gastroenterology, 120: 337-345.
Cross, D E, McDevitt R M, Hillman K,Acamovic T. 2007. The effect of herbs and their associated essential oils on performance, dietary digestibility and gut microflora in chickens from 7 to 28 days of age. Br Poult Sci, 48: 496-506.
Cummings, D E, Purnell J Q, Frayo R S, Schmidova K, Wisse B E,Weigle D S. 2001. A preprandial rise in plasma ghrelin levels suggests a role in meal initiation in humans. Diabetes, 50: 1714-1719.
Fujitsuka, N, Asakawa A, Hayashi M, Sameshima M, Amitani H, Kojima S, Fujimiya M,Inui A. 2009. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors modify physiological gastrointestinal motor activities via 5-HT2c receptor and acyl ghrelin. Biol Psychiatry, 65: 748-759.
Kojima, M, Hosoda H, Date Y, Nakazato M, Matsuo H,Kangawa K. 1999. Ghrelin is a growth-hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach. Nature, 402: 656-660.
Konturek, S J, Pepera J, Zabielski K, Konturek P C, Pawlik T, Szlachcic A,Hahn E G. 2003. Brain-gut axis in pancreatic secretion and appetite control. J Physiol Pharmacol, 54: 293-317.
Lakshmi, T, Geetha R V, Roy A,Kumar S A. 2011. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium linn). A herbal medicinal plant with broad therapeutic use- A review. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res, 9: 136-141.
Matsumura, T, Arai M, Yonemitsu Y, Maruoka D, Tanaka T, Suzuki T, Yoshikawa M, Imazeki F,Yokosuka O. 2010. The traditional Japanese medicine Rikkunshito increases the plasma level of ghrelin in humans and mice. J Gastroenterol, 45: 300-307.
Natalucci, G, Riedl S, Gleiss A, Zidek T,Frisch H. 2005. Spontaneous 24-h ghrelin secretion pattern in fasting subjects: maintenance of a meal-related pattern. Eur J Endocrinol, 152: 845-850.
Rhiannon, L M.2005. The effects of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and herbal supplements on growth performance and nutrient utilization of broiler chickens. Thesis (Ph.D.), Harper Adams University College.
Saeidnia, S, Gohari A, Mokhber-Dezfuli N,Kiuchi F. 2011. A review on phytochemistry and medicinal properties of the genus Achillea. DARU, 19: 173-186.
Shimbara, T, Mondal M S, Kawagoe T, Toshinai K, Koda S, Yamaguchi H, Date Y,Nakazato M. 2004. Central administration of ghrelin preferentially enhances fat ingestion. Neurosci Lett, 369: 75-79.
Takeda, H, Sadakane C, Hattori T, Katsurada T, Ohkawara T, Nagai K,Asaka M. 2008. Rikkunshito, an herbal medicine, suppresses cisplatin-induced anorexia in rats via 5-HT2 receptor antagonism. Gastroenterology, 134: 2004-2013.
Tschop, M, Wawarta R, Riepl R L, Friedrich S, Bidlingmaier M, Landgraf R,Folwaczny C. 2001. Post-prandial decrease of circulating human ghrelin levels. J Endocrinol Invest, 24: RC19-21.
Wren, A M, Seal L J, Cohen M A, Brynes A E, Frost G S, Murphy K G, Dhillo W S, Ghatei M A,Bloom S R. 2001. Ghrelin enhances appetite and increases food intake in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 86: 5992.
 
Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine
Volume 7, Issue 1
January and February 2017
Pages 10-15

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics