Comparison of the Effect of Passiflora Incarnata Extract and Alprazolam on Sex Hormone Levels and Ovarian Tissue Ultra-Structure in Adult Female fish(Trichogaster trichopterus)

Worldwide, the use of benzodiazepines as hypnotics and sedatives is on the rise. Alprazolam and passion flower (Passiflora incarnata L.) produce calming and sleep-inducing by affecting GABA, which is one of the known neurotransmitters of the brain. There are findings indicating that GABA has been found in the body's endocrine glands, including the ovary. In this research, due to the similarity of the endocrine reproductive control system of fish to humans and having the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis the comparison of the effects of the gabanergic drug alprazolam and the passion flower on the ovarian tissue of three-spotted gourami fish was chosen as the target.

In the present basic-experimental study carried out in 2022, 120 pieces of Trichogaster trichopterus with an average weight of 3 ± 0.5g were purchased from ornamental fish farm in Hamedan, Iran. The pieces were divided into eight groups of 15, which included the intact control group, the solvent control group, three treatment groups which received Alprazolam with a dose of 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg and three treatment groups receiving Passiflora incarnata extract with doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg. A dose of 0.02 ml of the drug was injected intramuscularly between the dorsal fin and the lateral line every other day for 10 times, over a period of 20 days. Finally, the fish were euthanized and dissected. The ovaries of the fish were isolated and examined with optical and electron microscope, and ELIZA kit was used to measure steroid hormones from tissue fluids. The data were analyzed using SPSS22 software and statistical methods of one-way ANOVA and Duncan at the level of p≤0.05.

According to the obtained results, alprazolam up to a maximum concentration of 100 mg/kg had stimulating effects on the maturation of the ovaries of Trichogaster trichopterus and caused an increase in steroid hormones in them. On the other hand, evening primrose extract has an inhibitory effect on ovarian development in doses of 25-100 mg/kg.

According to the results, alprazolam was probably a stimulant of gonadal development, while extract of Passiflora incarnata inhibited it.