IFLUENCE OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT FROM FEIJOA LEAVES ON THYROID FUNCTION IN RATS WITH EXPERIMENTAL HYPOTHYROIDISM

The present work studied the effect of aqueous extract from Feijoa leaves on thyroid function of rats with experimental hypothyroidism. Healthy albino rats weighing between 120 gand 150 gwere used. The animals were randomly allotted into four groups, each containing eight rats respectively. Three of the groups (II, III and IV), induced with hypothyroidism, were treated by 0.05 % solution of thiamazole with drinking water for 30 days. Control (vehicle) rats were given normal saline. After 13 days hypothyroid groups (III and IV) of rats were treated with aqueous extract from Feijoa leaves at a dose 1.0 ml/100 g of body weight and with Iodomarin 200 (reference drug) at a dose 12 µg/kg daily orally for 21 days. Results obtained from the study showed that the introduction of thiamazole leads to functional changes in the thyroid gland in rats, accompanied by decreasing sings of rectal temperature and level of thyroid hormones. It was found, that treatment with AEFL normalizes serum thyroid hormone levels, increases rectal temperature and reduces the thyroid mass. The investigated extract can be attributed to the regulators of the thyroid hypofunction and is promising for further study of its effectiveness as a thyroid-stimulating agent