Effect Of Irvingia Gabonensis Leaf Extracts On Non Pregnant Rat Uterus

The effects of ethanol and water extracts of the leaves of Irvingia gabonensis on isolated non-pregnant rat uterus and Ileum have been investigated. The isolated uterine horns and Ileum each were mounted into organ baths containing different physiological solution connected to a recording microdynamometer to measure the contractions. The standard drugs Acetylcholine (Ach), Atropine, pirenzepine and verapamil and the extracts were injected into the organ bath to study their pharmacological effects on the uterine smooth muscles. Ethanol extract (25 400μg/ml) contracted the rat uterus while the water extract (0.025 – 20mg/ml ) had no effect. Both extracts had no observable contractile effect on rat ileum. The ethanol extract was less potent than acetylcholine in contracting the tissue. The response of the uterus to the ethanol extract was reduced by atropine (14nM ); Pirenzepine (0.1μM) and completely blocked by Verapamil ( 0.1μM ).This result indicates that the ethanol extract of Irvingia gabonensis may produce a ca++ dependent muscarinic receptor – mediated contraction (extracellular calcium dependent ) of the non pregnant rat uterus.