Study of the phytoestrogen content of goat’s rue (Galega orientalis), alfalfa (Medicago sutiva) and white clover (Trifolium repens)

Authors

• Hannu Saloniemi College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Section of Animal Hygiene, Box 6, FIN-00581 Helsinki, Finland
• Kaarlo Kallela College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Section of Animal Hygiene, Box 6, FIN-00581 Helsinki, Finland
• Ilkka Saastamoinen College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Section of Animal Hygiene, Box 6, FIN-00581 Helsinki, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72677

Abstract

Studies were conducted to determine the phytoestrogen content of goat’s rue (Galega orientalis Lam.), alfalfa (Medicago saliva L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), all belonging to the Fabaceae family subjected to test cultivation at research stations of the Agricultural Research Centre of Finland. Apart from some insignificant quantities, goat’s rue did not contain any known phytoestrogens. Even in biological studies it had no estrogenic effect. The estrogenic effect of alfalfa was apparently due to coumestrol, which was discovered in the samples in quantities of 34-65 ppm. All white clover varieties contained very small quantities of estrogenic isoflavones and coumestrol, and they did not explain the increased weight of the immature rat uterus observed in the biological studies.