The management of menopause with complementary and alternative medicine using an experimental model: ovariectomized rats.

Abstract

AIM: The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of the flower essences She Oak and Bush Fuchsia on behavioral anxiety in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. METHODS: For four weeks, OVX rats received the flower essences She Oak, Bush Fuchsia or a combination of the two. After flower therapy, the animals were subjected to an elevated plus maze (EPM) behavioral anxiety-test. Cortisol blood level was also evaluated. RESULTS: OVX rats treated with the flower essence She Oak became less anxious and had more entries in the EPM open arms. On the other hand, OVX rats treated with the Bush Fuchsia essence spent more time in the EPM closed arms. This finding is similar to those obtained with controls. In addition, OVX rats that received She Oak and Bush Fuchsia in combination presented the same results as those receiving the Bush Fuchsia alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the flower essence She Oak could have an anxiolytic effect in OVX rats, but that the combination therapy of the She Oak and Bush Fuchsia could avoid the effects of the She Oak.