Effect of Alcoholic Extract of Hops Flowers (Humulus Lupulus L.) on the Sex Ratio in Offspring of Syrian Mice

Abstract

Background & Objectives: In traditional medicine, the different parts of hops with the scientific name Humulus lupulus (Hops) are used for the treatment of various diseases including reproductive disorders. In addition, having a healthy child with the desired sex is ideal for most couples. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effect of alcoholic extract of hops flower plant on sex ratio of Syrian newborn mice. Materials & Methods: In the experimental study, 80 mice weighing approximately 35 to 30 gr in the control, sham and experimental groups of male and female Syrian mice were studied. Each control group consisted of 8 mice; the experimental groups of male and female each consisting of 40 mice that were divided into three different experimental of eight 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Experimental groups received doses of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg alcoholic extract of hops flowers every day for 35 days by gavage. On the last prescribing day, the male and female mice mate together from different groups and after the offspring birth, their sex ratio was evaluated by the chi square test. Results: The findings showed that consumption of alcoholic extract of hops flowers significantly increases the proportion of male infants than female infants. Conclusion: Hops flowers extract might increase the serum levels of minerals such as potassium which in turn might lead to increased male to female ratio in infants possibly through altering the PH of the vagina area.