Comparative Effects of Ginger and Ashwagandha Extracts, Alone and Combined, Versus Levothyroxine on Thyroid Hormone Recovery in PTU-Induced Hypothyroid Female Rats Treated During Pregnancy

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal hypothyroidism reduces thyroid hormone availability during a period of increased endocrine demand. Objective: To compare 70% ethanolic extracts of Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Withania somnifera (ashwagandha), alone or combined, with levothyroxine in PTU-induced hypothyroid female rats treated during pregnancy.
Methods: Sixty adult female albino rats were allocated to six groups (10/group). G1 received water, whereas G2-G6 received propylthiouracil (PTU; 50 mg/kg/day) orally for 28 days. Hormonal analyses were based on n=3 animals/group in each phase. After confirmation of hypothyroidism and pregnancy, G1 remained the healthy control and G2 the untreated hypothyroid control. During the 21-day gestational treatment period, G3 received levothyroxine (20 µg/kg/day), G4 ginger (200 mg/kg/day), G5 ashwagandha (200 mg/kg/day), and G6 both extracts (200 mg/kg/day each). Serum T3, T4 and TSH were measured by ELISA.
Results: PTU decreased T3 and T4 and increased TSH before treatment. One day after parturition, G2 retained marked dysfunction (T3 0.893 ± 0.05 ng/mL; T4 1.94 ± 0.20 µg/dL; TSH 11.00 ± 1.10 µIU/mL). All treatments improved the three indices versus G2. In G3, T3 and TSH were not significantly different from G1, while T4 was higher. In G4, T3 and TSH were not significantly different from G1, while T4 remained lower. In G5 and G6, T3, T4 and TSH were not significantly different from G1. G6 was not significantly different from G5 for any thyroid index.
Conclusions: Ginger and ashwagandha improved the PTU-induced hormonal disturbance. Ashwagandha alone and the combination produced the broadest control-comparable profiles, but the data did not demonstrate pharmacological synergy.