International
Journal of Herbs and Pharmacological Research IJHPR, 2014, 3(3): 46 – 51.
www.arpjournals.com
RESEARCH PAPER
EFFECT OF SALINE
EXTRACT OF ALLIGATOR PEPPER (ZINGIBERACEAE AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA) ON SERUM
PROGESTERONE IN PREGNANT SPRAGUE DAWLEY RATS
*1Inegbenebor, U. and
2Ebomoyi, M.
Department of 1Physiology,
Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli
University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. 1Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences,
College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
*Corresponding
Author: druteinegbenebor@yahoo.com
Received: 9th June,
2014 Accepted: 28th July, 2014 Published: 31st July, 2014
ABSTRACT
This study was done
to determine the cellular basis of the abortifacient effect of Alligator pepper
on first trimester pregnancy using forty five female Sprague-Dawley rats mated
with male rats for three days. Thereafter, the female rats were randomly
selected into three groups, A, B and C. The rats in each group were further
randomly selected into three subgroups A1, A2, A3; B1, B2, B3; and C1, C2 , C3 for
groups A, B and C respectively. Each rat in group A was administered with
intra-peritoneal injection of 2ml of normal saline, while each rat in groups B
and C was administered with 6.7mg/kg and 13.3mg/kg/body weight of saline
extract of Alligator pepper on day 4 of gestation respectively. Blood was
collected from A1, B1, C1 on day 7; from A2, B2, C2 on day 14 and from A3, B3,
C3 on day 21 by intra-ventricular aspiration and assayed for progesterone using
ELISA technique. Results showed that progesterone level decreased significantly
on days 7 and 21 of pregnancy among rats administered with 6.7mg/kg body
weight, but day 7, only those treated with 13.3mg/kg /body weight of saline
extract of Alligator pepper.
Alligator pepper is
anti-progesterone.
Keywords: Saline
extract, Alligator pepper, Progesterone, Sprague Dawley Rats, Pregnancy
INTRODUCTION
Alligator pepper is a
dietary spice used as food flavor enhancer in Nigeria and some other parts of
the world. Alligator pepper contains an essential oil, which is volatile in
nature, and is extractable by hydro-distillation from the seeds of Aframomum
melegueta. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry have
been used in characterizing 27 compounds, which constitute 98.6% of the
essential oil (Ajaiyeoba and Ekundayo, 1999). These compounds include two
sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, humelene and caryophyllene, which make up 82.6% of this
volatile oil (Ajaiyeoba and Ekundayo, 1999). The oxides of humulene and
caryophyllene constitute another 9% of the oil while 17 other mono and
sesquiterpenes account for only one percent. Five non-terpenoids are detectable
in trace amounts (< 0.2%) only (Ajaiyeoba and Ekundayo, 1999). Of interest
is the fact that pregnant women indulges in such alligator pepper flavoured
foods (like pepper soup), and the fact that granulated seeds of Alligator
pepper has capacity to terminate first trimester pregnancy in Sprague Dawley
rats (Inegbenebor et al., 2009a) in a manner similar to Mifepristone –a drug
currently used alone or with misoprostol to induce emergency contraception and
first trimester abortion (Clark et al., 2005). Mifepristone is in a class of
medications called anti-progestational steroids (Hazra and Pore) that works by
blocking the activity of progesterone (Medline Plus, 2014). This study was
therefore carried out to determine if the mechanism of action of Alligator pepper in first
trimester termination of pregnancy is similar to that of mifepristone and
related to progesterone antagonism.
ASN-PH-020919
ISSN: 2315-537X
E-ISSN: 2384-6836
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