effects of portulaca oleracea ethanolic extract on reproductive system of aging female mice

background: aging contains morphological and functional deterioration in biological systems. d-galactose (d-gal) generates free radicals and accelerates aging. portulaca oleracea (purslane) may have protective effect against oxidative stress. objective: purslane ethanolic extract effects were evaluated on antioxidant indices and sex hormone in d-gal aging female mice. materials and methods: 48 female nmri mice (25-35 gr) were randomly divided into, 6 groups: 1- control (normal saline for 45 days), 2- purslane (200 mg/kg for last 3 weeks), 3-d-gal (500 mg/kg for 45 days), 4-d-gal+purslane, 5- aging, 6-aging+purslane. sex hormones, antioxidants and malondialdehyde (mda) level of ovary and uterus were measured. histological assessment was also done. results: in d-gal treated and aging animals, lh and fsh levels were significantly increased (p<0.001) while estrogen and progesterone levels were significantly reduced (p<0.001) in comparison with control group. mda contents were significantly increased in ovaries and uterus of d-gal and aging groups (p<0.01). superoxide dismutase (sod) (p<0.001) and catalase (p<0.01) activities were significantly decreased in both aging and d-gal treated animals. ovarian follicles were degenerated and atrophy on uterine wall and endometrial glands was observed in d-gal and aging groups. alteration in hormone levels, mda contents and antioxidant activity were significantly reversed by purslane (p<0.05). purslane could also improve histological changes such as atrophy of endometrium. conclusion: these findings indicate that purslane can attenuate aging alternations induced by d-gal and aging in female reproductive system.