Contraceptive activity of 4-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-hex-5-enyl)-chroman-2,7-diol via inhibiting ovulation in Gonadotropin-primed immature rat model

Gonadotropin-primed immature rats (GPIR) were used to study the anti-ovulatory effect of 4-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-hex-5-enyl)-chroman-2,7-diol (chroman derivative) isolated from seeds of Ensete superbum on ovulation. Present results depicted dose-related anti-ovulatory effect of the chroman derivative at 2 mg/kg bw and 4 mg/kg bw. Chroman derivative showed dose-dependent anti-estrogenic activity on MCF-7 cell line. Attenuation of ovulation was associated with a lowered ovarian estrogen and progesterone levels along with reduced levels of some major cytokines, i.e. TNFα, VEGF, IL-6 and IL-1β, indicating the disrupted cytokinine signaling. Unruptured preovulatory follicles were found in all the ovaries extracted from animals treated with chroman derivative. Our findings demonstrated that chroman derivative has potential contraceptive activity through its anti-estrogenic activity which leads to inhibition in ovulation and attenuated ovarian cytokinine signaling.