ABSTRACT
Uterotonic property is the characteristic innate ability of a substance to spontaneously initiate and maintain uterine contractions due to its chemical composition. Over centuries, sub-saharan Africans have been using Sida corymbosa leaf extract during labour with the claims that it aids and facilitates childbirth. This study was carried out to validate the folkloric claim that Sida corymbosa leaf extract possesses uterotonic property. Acute toxicity test following single oral administration of the extract was done in accordance with Lorke’s method. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out in accordance with Odebiyi and sofowora (1978) and of Trease and Evans (1996) methods. In-vitro uterototonic test was conducted on isolated pregnant and non pregnant uterine tissues. The extract, acetylcholine and oxytocin were independently instilled into the organ bath and the responses they elicited were measured on a microdynanometre. Interaction studies were also conducteed using varying concentrations of the extract and single low doses of acetylcholine, oxytocin, salbutamol, atropine and indomethacine. The LD50 of the extract was found to be 471.17 mg/kg and phytochemical screening revealed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, sterol, triterpenes and anthraquinones in the extract. The extract demonstrated uterotonic activity more on the pregnant than the non pregnant uterine tissue. The mean response amplitude of the pregnant uterus was 58.815 mm while that of non pregnant uterine tissue was 40.328 mm with a mean difference of 18.5 mm. The concentration that is required to elicit fifty percent of uterotonic activity (EC50) of the extract was lower for the pregnant uterine tissue (1.58 mg/ml of final bath concentration) than the EC50 (2.09 mg/ml) of the non pregnant uterus. It indicates increased sensitivity of the pregnant uterine tissue to the extract than the non pregnant uterine tissue. When interaction studies were done (between the extract + acetylcholine and extract + oxytocin), synergy of the uterotonic activity was observed. The percentage increase of 22.3% and 26.4% were observed for the interactions of (extract + acetylcholine) and vii (extract + oxytocin) respectively on non pregnant uterine tissue. The percentage increase of 9.28% and 2.79% respectively was observed in the case of the pregnant tissue. However, when interaction studies were done between (extract + salbutamol, extract + atropine and extract + indomethacine), the drugs were found to antagonise the uterotonic activity of the extract with percentage decrease of 80.7%, 88.3% and 79.7% respectively on the non pregnant uterine tissue and 64.4%, 9.3% and 98.5% respectively on the pregnant uterine tissue. The extract may be acting via adrenoceptors or prostaglandin receptor because antagonism by salbutamol and indomethacine on the uterotonic activity of the extract were apparent on both pregnant and non pregnant uterine tissues. In conclusion, the aqueous leaf extract of Sida corymbosa has demonstrated uterotonic activity on both pregnant and non pregnant uterine tissues. The extract has a wide variety of phytochemicals, it is slightly toxic and may be utilizing adrenoceptors or prostaglandin receptors for its uterotonic activities.
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