Histomorphological study of the effect of mint on the uterus and ovary of adult Wistar rats

Abstract

Mentha piperita is a medicinal plant used for treating human diseases for thousands of years. However, the traditional medicinal usage of herbs by humans is imperfect and unscientific by modern standards. It is the result of countless trial-and-error tests that people have conducted, and so traditional usage points the way to natural therapeutic usage. "Natural" does not necessarily mean "safe." This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ethanolic extract of Mentha piperita leaves on histo-morphological changes in the ovary and uterus of adult female Wistar rats. Hence this study was undertaken to evaluate its impact on the gonadal organ in female Wistar albino rats in 18 female albino rats of age 6-8 weeks which were divided into 3 groups. Group I was treated as control, Group II and III received orally 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg of ethanolic extract of Mentha piperita respectively for 60 days. Then the rats were sacrificed and the ovaries and uterus were processed for haematoxylin and eosin staining to study the effect on the estrous phase, ovulation, and implantation. The ovarian germinal epithelium was found to be flattened at places and disrupted. The stroma shows more fibrosis with severe degeneration. Granulosa cells are also disrupted. Follicles show features of degeneration. Degenerating oocytes are also seen in places. The endometrium lining epithelium is disrupted, vascularity was increased and the myometrium has become edematous. It is shown in previous studies that Mentha arvensis, Mentha spicate (spearmint), and Mentha piperita have got adverse effects on the reproductive system but in our study on female fertility, we found that Mentha piperita showed increased folliculogenesis and many degenerated follicles at different stages of development.