Razi University

AbstractBackground and objective:Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive-metabolic disorderassociated with hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, andimpaired folliculogenesis. This study evaluated the effects of an ethanolicblack garlic extract on metabolic, hormonal, oxidative, and ovarianhistological indices in an experimental PCOS model. Methods: Thirty female NMRI micewere allocated to six groups (n=5 each): Control, PCOS, PCOS+BG100, PCOS+BG200,BG100, and BG200. PCOS was induced by daily subcutaneous testosterone enanthate(1 mg/100 g body weight) for four weeks. Black garlic extract was thenadministered by oral gavage at 100 or 200 mg/kg once daily for four weeks.Fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, total cholesterol,HDL-C, calculated LDL-C, testosterone, progesterone, malondialdehyde (MDA),ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ovarian histology were evaluated.Results: The PCOS group showedhigher fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, totalcholesterol, LDL-C, testosterone, and MDA and lower HDL-C, progesterone, andFRAP than controls. Both black garlic doses significantly reduced fasting bloodglucose, HOMA-IR, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-C. Insulin andtestosterone decreased significantly in PCOS+BG200, while HDL-C increasedsignificantly in PCOS+BG100. Ovarian MDA decreased significantly with bothdoses, and serum MDA decreased with 200 mg/kg. FRAP increased numerically aftertreatment but did not differ significantly from PCOS; progesterone alsoincreased numerically without statistical significance. Histologically, PCOSwas associated with more cystic and atretic follicles and fewer corpora lutea,whereas black garlic partially attenuated these alterations. Conclusion: Ethanolic blackgarlic extract modulated several metabolic, androgenic, oxidative, and ovarianabnormalities in this mouse model. The 200 mg/kg dose produced strongerresponses in several key outcomes, but the overall pattern was not uniformlydose-dependent. These findings indicate a multi-domain response rather thancomplete normalization of all PCOS-related endpoints and should be interpretedwithin the limitations of a preclinical animal study. Further studies should