In vitro uterotonic activities of cold aqueous stem bark extract of Erythrophleum suaveolens on estrogenized uterus of Nulliparous Guinea Pig

Medicinal plants have been used for different purposes. Interests in pharmacological and other scientific screening for the authentication of folkloric claims and drug development has become imperative. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of cold aqueous crude stem-bark extract of Erythrophleum suaveolens (CASBEEs) on estrogenized uterus of nonpregnant Guinea pig. Stem-bark of E. suaveolens were harvested, gently rinsed with clean water and dried under shade in a well-ventilated environment, ground into powder and cold aqueous crude extract of the processed plant material was obtained via maceration. Guinea pigs were estrogenized with 0.2 mg/kg diethylstilbestrol intraperitoneally 24 hours prior to in vitro drug administration. The uterine muscle of the animal was isolated and contractile responses were obtained using different graded volumes with CASBEEs (1 x 10-2 g/ml), oxytocin (1 x 10-4 g/ml), ergometrine (1 x 10-4 g/ml), and Acetylcholine (1 x 10-4 g/ml). The CASBEEs, caused contraction of the isolated estrogenized uterine muscles of the guinea pig in a dose-dependent manner. Maximum contraction (100%) for CASBEEs is at 0.6ml with a final bath concentration of 1.2 x 10-4 g/ml. comparatively, maximum contractile responses for the standard drugs was oxytocin 0.8 (1.6 x 10-6 g/ml) and ergometrine 0.8ml (1.6 x 10-6 g/ml) and Acetylcholine 0.4ml (8 x 10-7 g/ml). Aqueous crude extract of the stem-bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens exerted a dose-dependent and sustained uterotonic effect on estrogenized isolated uterine muscle of nulliparous Guinea pigs, thus authenticating the folkloric claim for its use to induce labour. Further studies on its mechanism of action and its use for fertility control should be explored.