Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Ethnopharmacology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jethpharm Effect of different extracts and fractions of Senecio biafrae (Oliv. &Hiern) J. Moore on in vivo and in vitro parameters of folliculogenesis in experimental animals L.L. Lienou a,b,* , P.B. Telefo a , G.Q. Rodrigues b , J.N. Donfack b , R.A. Araújo b , J.B. Bruno b , J.R. Njimou c , T.G. Mbemya b , R.R. Santos d , J.F. Souza b,e , J.R. Figueiredo b , A.P.R. Rodrigues b a University of Dschang, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry, URBPMAN, Dschang, Cameroon b State University of Ceará, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, LAMOFOPA, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil c University of Ngaoundere, School of Chemical Engineering and Mineral Industries, Ngaoundere, Cameroon d Federal University of Pará, Castanhal, Brazil e Laboratory Brio Genetics and Biotechnology Ltd, Araguaína, TO, Brazil ARTICLE INFO Keywords: S. biafrae Immature female rats Preantral follicles In vitro culture FSH-Like ABSTRACT Background: Senecio biafrae is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine to cure female infertility. Some effects have been pharmacologically demonstrated on immature female rats but in vivo and in vitro in- vestigations are still necessary for determining its mechanism of action. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the estrogenic and FSH-like effects of the plant extracts and fractions on some fertility parameters in immature female rats and on in vitro survival and growth of swine preantral follicles. Methods: 21–23 days old female Wistar rats orally received extracts and fractions of S. biafrae at 0, 8 and 64 mg/ kg doses over 20 days. The LH, FSH, estradiol and progesterone serum levels were evaluated as well as the ovarian cholesterol, uterus and ovaries masses and proteins. The numbers of follicles at different developmental stages were recorded in ovarian cortexes after histology. Slices of swine ovarian cortexes were cultured along 1 or 7 days in alpha-minimum essential medium (α-MEM) and fixed for morphological analysis of preantral fol- licles. The fresh control, cultured control (CIV control) and different Senecio biafrae-treated ovarian fragments were analyzed for preantral follicles development. Treatments that showed the best follicle growth in culture were submitted to AgNOR test. The aqueous and MeOH/CH 2 Cl 2 extracts as well as the ethyl acetate and hexane fractions of S. biafrae were submitted to the HPLC for analysis of polyphenolic secondary metabolites. Results: Ovarian and uterine proteins were significantly high (p < 0.01) in animals treated with the two do- sages of ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions. The same result was recorded with uterine proteins in animals treated with the hexane fraction. The FSH level significantly dropped with all ethanolic extract doses and with the 64 mg/kg dosage of the methanol/methylene chloride (MeOH/CH 2 Cl 2 ) extract while LH was reduced (p < 0.01) in almost all the treated groups. Estradiol level was significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the three groups receiving the extracts, but reduced (p < 0.001) in the three groups receiving the fractions of the plant. The progesterone level increased with almost all the treated groups. Primary and secondary follicles augmented (p < 0.01) in MeOH/CH 2 Cl 2 extract and n-butanol fraction while tertiary follicles increased with the same extract and the ethyl acetate fraction (p < 0.05). Treatments with aqueous and ethanolic extracts as well as ethyl acetate fraction led to a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the number of morphologically normal follicles after 7 days of culture as compared to the CIV control. The number of AgNOR dots per follicle was significantly low (p < 0.05) in all cultured groups as compared to the fresh control, except the ethyl acetate 2.8 ng/ml dosage. The same observation was done with AgNOR dots per cell in the 2.8 ng/ml dosage aqueous extract- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2020.112571 Received 16 May 2019; Received in revised form 26 November 2019; Accepted 10 January 2020 * Corresponding author. URBPMAN, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, P.O. Box 67, UDs, Dschang, Cameroon / LAMOFOPA, UECE, Silas Munguba Av, 1700, CEP: 60714-502, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. E-mail addresses: lienoulandry@yahoo.fr, landrylienou@gmail.com (L.L. Lienou), bphelix@yahoo.co.uk (P.B. Telefo), gqrvet@hotmail.com (G.Q. Rodrigues), njiatsa@gmail.com (J.N. Donfack), val_exclusiva@yahoo.com.br (R.A. Araújo), jamilybezerrabruno@yahoo.com.br (J.B. Bruno), njimoujacques@gmail.com, jacques_njimou@yahoo.it (J.R. Njimou), gildasmbemya@yahoo.fr (T.G. Mbemya), regiane.r.dos.santos@gmail.com (R.R. Santos), julianofranco@uol.com.br (J.F. Souza), figueiredo.lamofopa@gmail.com (J.R. Figueiredo), anapaula.ribeirorodrigues@gmail.com, anapaula.rodrigues@uece.br (A.P.R. Rodrigues). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 251 (2020) 112571 Available online 11 January 2020 0378-8741/ © 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V. T