The scientific findings followed experiments involving rats, medical experts said yesterday at a seminar on combining TCM and Western medicine on obstetrics and gynecology.

The studies showed TCM was effective in enhancing women's ovary function, the experts said.

TCM fertility therapy was developed by Yu Jin from Shanghai Qinkuntang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Cooperating with Yu, scientists from the State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology under the Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted experiments on elderly rats with fading fertility.

Two of the eight rats receiving high dosage of Yu's TCM therapy got pregnant and delivered seven babies, one of the eight rats with low dosage of Yu's therapy delivered three and none of the rats with hormone therapy delivered offspring.

"The overall secretion of female hormone and egg production of rats with Yu's therapy was better than those with hormone treatment," said Chen Yanling, a researcher in the laboratory.

"The experiment provides evidence that TCM therapy for clinical practice would be effective."

According to Yu, poor women's fertility was mostly caused by poor ovary function and other ovary and womb diseases.

"About 30 percent of female infertility is because of poor ovary function and the incidence is growing," she said.

Yu has promoted her therapy as a combination of TCM and Western medicine.