Oxytocic effects of the water extract of Musanga cecropioides R. Brown (Moraceae) stem bark

Musanga cecropioides (Umbrella tree) is one of the medicinal plants used in tropical parts of Africa for its oxytocic, hypotensive and antidiabetic activities. This work examined the effect of the water extractof the stem bark on rat uterus pre-treated with 1 mg/kg stilboesterol for 24 h. The effects of oxytocin-a uterine contraction agonist, antagonists like atropine (1-2 mg) and salbutamol (2 ìg) on the uterinecontractile effect of the water extract as well as its acute toxic effect were investigated. The water extract of M. cecropioides produced a dose related increase in the force of uterine contraction. An equivalent force of uterine contraction of 1.10 ± 0.15 g produced by 12.5 mg of the extract wasincreased to 2.53 ± 0.6 g when 1600 mg of the extract was administered. Oxytocin at 0.08 i.u. was observed to elicit a similar force of contraction with 400 mg of the water extract. The drug was observed to potentiate the uterine contractile activity of the extract while pre-treating the tissue with either atropine or salbutamol before administering the water extract showed the inhibitory effects of the drugs on the activity of the extract. The inhibition effect showed by atropine suggests the probable stimulation of the muscarinic receptors of the uterus by the extract. Between doses of 1-4 g/kg, the water extract of M. cecropioides was observed to be well tolerated in mice as no obvious signs of toxicity were observed on the animal

Smooth muscle relaxant activity of 3- carbomethoxylpyridine from Pyrenacantha staudtii leaf on isolated rat uterus

Pyrenacantha staudtii leaf (Icacinaceae) is a medicinal herb used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of threatened abortion and gastrointestinal disorders. Previous chemical work in our laboratory reported the isolation and characterization of 3- carbomethoxylpyridine from the methanolic extract of this plant. The inhibitory effect of the crude extract on isolated rat uterus was also established. The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory activity of the isolated compound, 3- carbomethoxylpyridine,on rat isolated uterine preparation. This was achieved by subjecting the compound to uterine preparation in an organ bath containing a physiological salt solution of De Jalon. The contractions were recorded with an FT03 transducer attached to an Ugo Basil recorder. The study has shown for the first time that 3-carbomethoxylpyridine has a relaxant effect on the smooth muscle of the uterus promotingrelaxation of the spontaneous and oxytocin-induced contractions

Evaluation of the Antidiarrhoeal Activity of the Methanolic Leaf Extract of Newbouldia Laevis Seemanan (Bignoniaceae) in Mice

Newbouldia Laevis (N.L) has been used by traditional medical practitioner in Benin city for the treatment of diarrhoea which has high mortality especially in children. The aim of this study is to use different models to evaluate anti diarrhoeal potential of the methanolic leaf extract of this plant.Results showed that the extract caused a significant (p<0.05) reduction in weight and number of stools and reduced the frequency of castor oil induced diarrhoea in mice. The extract (100mg/kg) also produced a significant (p<0.05) inhibition of intestinal transit. N.L extract significantly (p<0.05) reduced the volume of fluid accumulated in the intestines compared to the control. It was thus concluded that the methanolic leaf extract of (N.L.) possesses a significant antidiarrhoeal activity as exemplified by its effect on GIT motility and experimentally induced diarrhoea