In Vivo and in Vitro Antifertility Properties of Vernonia Amygdalina Del
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Date
2006-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Rapid population growth is becoming a problem which causes sever pressure on economic,
social and cultural resources. Control of fertility using traditional antifertility plants has
been practiced for many years in Africa including Ethiopia. Vernonia amygdalina locally
known as “Girawa” is one of the many plants used for fertility regulation in Ethiopia. In
the present study the anti-implantation and abortifacient property of 95% ethanol crude
extract of the leaves of the plant in vivo and the spasmogenic effect of its fractions in
isolated mouse uterus (MU) in vitro were tested. The crude extract of the plant was
evaluated for its anti-implantation effect a doses of 0.385, 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg body weight in
mice. Its abortifacient property was also studied at doses of 1, 2 and 3 g/kg body weight.
The crude extract was further fractionated to F1, F2, F3 and F4 to see the possible
uterotonic property in the presence of an agonist ACh as a control. The crude extract
caused a significant (p<0.05) reduction in mean number of implantation sites compared to
the controls at a dose of 1 g/kg. A significant difference was also observed in mean
number of live fetuses and survival percent between the controls and the test groups at a
dose of 3 g/kg. Thus the plant showed dose dependent antifertility effect. Among the
fractions tested for uterotonic activity, F3 showed a significant uterine stimulatory effect
compared to the control ACh. F1 did not show any effect. But F2 and F4 showed
inhibitory effect compared to the control. The results support the traditional folk use of the
leaf of the plant as antifertility agent.
Key Words: Vernonia amygdalina, in vivo, in vitro, anti-fertility, anti-implantation,
abortifacient, female mice, estrogenic, uterotonic, uterus, Ethiopia.
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Keywords
Vernonia amygdalina, in vivo, in vitro, anti-fertility, anti-implantation, abortifacient, female mice, estrogenic, uterotonic,, uterus, Ethiopia