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Tribulus terrestris and female reproductive system health: A comprehensive review
Ali Ghanbari1, Nasim Akhshi1, Seyed Ershad Nedaei2
1Department of Anatomy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Background:
Tribulus terrestris L. (T. terrestris) positive performance on the male sexual system has been confirmed, but little is known about its effects on the female reproductive system.
Purpose:
This review discussed in detail the beneficial impact of T. terrestris and its secondary metabolites on the female reproductive system.
Study Design And Methods:
In this review, the scientific Databases of Science direct, Pubmed, Web of Science, Google, Google Scholar, Researchgate, EMBASE, Scientific Information (SID), and Elsevier were searched profoundly. Studies about the pharmacological activities of T. terrestris on the female reproductive system in each aspect of investigations: human, in vivo, and in vitro studies, in the period from 1998 to 2020 were admitted. Our study was not limited by the language of publications.
Results:
23 articles about the effects of T. terrestris on the female reproductive system were found. These studies approved the T. terrestris efficacy on improvements in histological features of the ovary and uterus of polycystic ovary syndrome patients as well as the well-working of normal ovaries, enhancements in the sexual desire of postmenopausal syndrome, improve ovarian and breast cancers.
Conclusion:
These studies showed that the positive effect of T. terrestris on the female reproductive system was due to the presence of a secondary metabolite called protodioscin; a steroidal saponin compound, as the dominant active component of this plant.
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