EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS FRUIT EXTRACT OF HARITAKI (TERMINALIA CHEBULA) ON REGULATION OF HYPOTHYROIDISM

The thyroid, an important part of the human endocrine system, is involved in the regulation of oxygen use, basal metabolic rate, cellular metabolism, and growth. As it acts as a regulator for the body, abnormalities of the thyroid should be reckoned with, and measures to prevent such occurrences should be followed. Hypothyroidism can be described as the inability of the thyroid gland to produce sufficient thyroid hormone to fulfill the metabolic demands of the body. Usage of medicinal plants and their active compounds for the treatment of diseases has, in recent years, showing a lot of promise in chemotherapy. Also, the lack of major side effects, as observed with the usage of such therapy led to an increase in the people’s tendency to use these compounds. In the present study, the effect of aqueous extracts of Terminalia chebula fruit on Thyroid parameters in rats during seven-day oral administration of a low dose of 250 mg/kg and a high dose of 500 mg/kg was investigated. The parameters evaluated the ameliorative effect of aqueous fruit extract in the regulation of thyroidism in rat model. The result showed a significant increase in T3 and T4 at the dose of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight when compared to the control. However, TSH showed a significant decrease in the case of both low dose and high dose as compared to the control. The results of this study suggest that the extract may have beneficial effect on stimulants to thyroid functions.