Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
1
Department of Veterinary Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya
2
Veterinary Professional Program, Department of Health and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences (FIKKIA), Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
3
Professional Education of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
4
1). Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomic Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia 2). Graduate Programme in Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
5
Graduate Programme in Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
10.22059/ijvm.2026.418672.1006189
Abstract
Background: Ovarian follicular cysts are persistent anovulatory structures that arise when dominant follicles fail to ovulate. Oestradiol valerate can induce persistent oestrus and cystic ovarian changes in rats, accompanied by altered steroidogenesis and local inflammation. Metformin can influence steroidogenesis and inflammatory signalling, whereas black tea extract contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory theaflavins.
Objectives: To investigate the influence of metformin with black tea extract on serum testosterone and ovarian tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression in a rat model of ovarian follicular cysts induced by oestradiol valerate.
Methods: Ovarian follicular cyst-like changes were induced via intraperitoneal oestradiol valerate. Both metformin alone and metformin with black tea extract were tested in rats. Persistent oestrus was monitored by vaginal cytology. Serum testosterone was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and ovarian TNF-α expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry.
Results: Serum testosterone showed no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). TNF-α expression in ovarian tumours significantly differed among groups (P=0.008). The mean value of TNF-α was highest in the metformin group. However, the mean values of testosterone and inflammatory markers were closer to those in the normal control group for the combination group than for the metformin-only group, although the two treatment groups did not differ significantly.
Conclusions: Combined treatment with metformin and black tea extract produced biomarker values that were numerically closer to normal control values than metformin alone. However, the data did not demonstrate superiority of the combination treatment or confirm regression of ovarian follicular cysts.
Keywords
