Researchers have discovered the female steroid hormone progesterone in a plant.

Thus far, researches believed that only animals could produce progesterone.

Progesterone, which is a sex hormone released by the female internal reproductive organ, prepare the womb for maternity and maintains pregnancy.

A synthetic edition, progestin, is utilized in contraceptive pills and other medicines.

Guido F. Pauli and colleagues reported, "The significance of the unequivocal identification of progesterone cannot be overstated."

"While the biological role of progesterone has been extensively studied in mammals, the reason for its presence in plants is less apparent," they added.

The researchers guess that the progesterone, like other sex hormones, might be an ancient bioregulator, which developed billions of years ago, before the emergence of modern plants and animals.

The new detection may alter scientific realizing of the organic evolution and role of progesterone in living things.

Researchers earlier discovered progesterone-like substances in plants and supposed that the hormone itself could be present in plants.

But scientists had not discovered the actual hormone in plants thus far.

Pauli and fellow workers utilized two influential lab tools, NMR and mass spectroscopy, in order to identify progesterone in leaves of the Common Walnut, or English Walnut, tree.

They also found five new, progesterone-related steroid hormones in a plant belonging to the buttercup family. (With Input from Agencies)