The Historical and Contemporary Significance of Gonadotropins: Insights from Avicenna and Modern Science

Avicenna, a renowned Persian scholar, is recognized for his substantial impact on medicine. His deep understanding of pregnancy and its implications has been especially influential in the field. Notably, he advocated for elephant urine, which contains natural gonadotropins, to stimulate ovulation.

The study seeks to illuminate the connections between ancient medical practices and contemporary fertility treatments.

This study reviews Avicenna's Canon of Medicine and related scholarly articles to examine his historical application of elephant urine, containing natural gonadotropins, for ovulation stimulation. It further draws connections to modern reproductive medicine's use of human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

Research indicates that estradiol metabolites are primarily excreted in elephant urine, while progesterone metabolites are nearly equally divided between feces and urine. In pregnant elephants, urinary 5-reduced progestins peak at weeks 40-45 before declining, while urinary estrogens remain low early, increase 10-20-fold mid-pregnancy, and then gradually decrease. Female Asian elephants' urine contains low-volatility chemicals that induce flehmen responses in males before ovulation. Although tryptanthrine was identified, a minor coeluting component was responsible for this reaction, illustrating the complexity of elephant reproductive chemistry (5, 6).

Avicenna's recommendations and the scientific observations on elephant gonadotropins highlight the intriguing links between historical medical practices and modern scientific findings. His pioneering research advances reproductive medicine, bridging ancient and modern understandings of human fertility. However, animal-derived products may pose safety risks and should be used under specialist supervision.