Breast feeding, hypogalactia and molecular exploration of herbal galactogogues

Research has shown that breast milk is the personalized health food and immune protection for infants. Breast milk carries the nutrients required by infants and provides anti-infective properties to newborns. Breast milk contains immunoglobulins, proteins like lactoferrin, lysozyme and casein, lipids, oligosaccharides, enzymes, prostaglandins, growth factors, hormones which provide many mechanisms to prevent infections and modulate the immune system. This protection is personalized as the mother would likely be exposed to the same microorganisms that cause infections in the infants.

However, many mothers experience insufficient milk production called hypogalactia. Prolactin plays a primary role in lactation and estrogens act as regulators of milk production. High levels of estradiol can decrease milk secretion by changing the mammary secretory epithelial morphology. Galactogogues are molecules that increase lactation. Galactogogues function either by increasing prolactin secretion or by inhibiting estradiol. Hypogalactia is treated by medications like domperidone, metoclopramide and sulpiride which increase endogenous prolactin production but are limited in use due to side effects. Herbal galactogogues known and used since ancient times may provide new leads. This study is an effort to identify components of traditionally used galactogogues in Asian and Middle Eastern countries, the seeds of Nigella sativa, Trachyspermum copticum and Trigonella foenum-graecum. The seeds were extracted by various solvents and analyzed by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry for either analogues of the prolactin inducing medications mentioned above or those which may inhibit estradiol.