Effect of dietary phytoestrogens on some growth performance parameters in rats

Abstract EN

Phytoestrogens have been shown to possess many physiological actions on different body systems in female rats.

This study investigated the effect of high dietary phytoestrogens (1320 μg / g genistein and 704.7 μg / g daidzein as determined by HPLC) versus low dietary phytoestrogens (45 μg / g genistein and 28 μg / g daidzein as determined by HPLC) on body weight gain (BWTG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in intact cyclic females.

Also the effect of high dietary phytoestrogens on body weight (BWT) and feed intake in pregnant femal rats at the 7th gestation day (GD 7) and 19th gestation day (GD 19) was also investigated.

The results showed significant (P < 0.05) lower BWTG and FI in high phytoestrogens-fed cyclic females than the low phytoestrogens-fed females, while FCR was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in treated females.

In pregnant dams BWT and FI were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in high phytoestrogens-fed group than the low phytoestrogens-fed one.