EFFECTS OF ALFALFA CONSUMPTION ON ESTROGEN LEVELS IN EWES

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Abstract
The effects of the alfalfa phyto-estrogens, mostly coumestrol and genistein, on circulating levels of endogenous estrogens in ewes is presented. Both estrogens and phyto-estrogens were measured by competitive binding assay after separation on sephadex LH-20 columns. During the 21 days of the trial, the five ewes consuming orchard grass had higher and more variable plasma estrogen levels than the ewes fed alfalfa. The five ewes on alfalfa hay consumed an equivalent of 177 mg genistein per day and showed plasma levels of 5–30 ng genistein equivalents/ml, while ewes on orchard grass hay had no detectable plasma phyto-estrogens. It is suggested that the plasma levels of phyto-estrogens resulting from the consumption of alfalfa could be high enough to compete with the endogenous estrogens for sites on the estrogen binding protein in the hypothalamus of the ewes and thus influence the production of gonadotropins and so depress the functioning of the ovary.

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