ABSTRACT

The effects of actions of ethanolic crude extract of Vernon/a amygcicilina on some hormones involved in uterine and mammary gland contraction in female albino Wistar rats were investigated using standard protocols. The crude extract was fractionated into six (FL F2. P3. F4. F5 and F6) and each fraction investigated in v/leo for contractile activities on isolated rat uterus and mammary tissues in the presence of acetyicholine. The result indicated varied contractile activities in the order F5>F3>F2>FI>F4>F6 for uterus and F5>F2>F3>F6>FI>F4 for mammary tissue at final bath concentrations of 0.25 mg/mI. 0.5 mg/mI. 0.75 mg/mI. 1 .0 mg/nil. 1 .25 mg/mI and 1.5 mg/mi. Further studies on F5 using mice showed a lethal dose (LD ) ) of 290mg/kg body weight. Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of F5 revealed the presence of eleven hioactive compounds which includes. Phenol: Tetradecanoic acid: Oxirane: Palmitic acid: Eicosanoic acid: Linoleic acid: Phytol: Oleic acid: Stearic acid: Cholestane and Benzenedicarhoxylic acid. Adult female albino Wistar rats grouped into five (1. II, III. IV. V) were used for the hormonal study. Group served as negative control and was administered 20% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) while groups II. III. and IV served as test groups and were administered 40mg/kg. 80mg/kg and 1 20mg/kg body weight of F5 respectively. Group V was oxytocin treated group which served as positive control and was administered 0. 1 ig of oxytocin intraperitopeally. The results showed a dose dependent significant (P<0.05) increase in serum progesterone in groups II to IV (70.33+0.88 jtg/ml.. 92.53±0.29 gg/ml. and 104.66±2.02 gg/ml.) when compared to the negative control (61.33±2.40 gg/nil,). oxytocin (0.6±0.01 gg/ml. 0.83±0.001 gg/ml and 1.05±0.01 tg/ml) when compared to the negative control (0.42±0.01 pg/mI) and lactation prolactin (14.82+0.12 ng/ml. 17.37+0.31 ng/ml and 1 9.20±0.49 ng/ml) when compared to the negative control (13.50±0.04 ng/ml). Also the results indicated a dose dependent significant (P<0.05) decrease in serum luteinizing hormone in groups 11 to IV (1.73±0.18 mIU/ml. 1.86±0.03 mIU/ml and 1.2±0.05 m1U/ml) when compared to the negative control (1 .2310.03 mll.J/ml). follicle stimulating hormone (0.4±0.01 m1U/ml. 0.31±0.01 mIU/ml and 0.2±0.01 mlU/ml).when compared to the negative control (0.7±0.05 mlli/ml) and non lactation prolactin (1 .6±0.05 ng/ml. 1.43±0.16 ng/ml and 1.13±0.18 ng/ml) compared to the negative control (2.3±0.05 ng/ml). The dose dependent marked increase in the serum estrogen levels (491.66±0.08 pg/mI. 616.66±2.02 pg/ml and 673.66±2.02 pg/mI) in the test groups was significantly higher than the negative control (92.66-10.88 pg/mI). These results showed that F5 fraction of Vernoma oinygclalina crude extract has high uterine and mammary tissue contractile activity and may also improve milk letdown in rats. The results are indicative that Vernon/ci umygda/ina may be acting as estrogenic dietary plant.