PARADOXICAL EFFECTS OF RICINUS COMMUNIS SEED EXTRACT ON SMOOTH MUSCLE
Abstract
ThebiphasicpharmacologicalactivityoftheaqueousmethanolextractofRicinuscommunisseedsonsmoothmuscleswasinvestigatedinthisresearch.ThequalitativeandquantitativephytochemicalanalysisforbioactivecompoundsinthemethanolextractofthefermentedandunfermentedRicinuscommunisseedswerecarriedoutbythemethodofTreaseEvansandHarborne.ThemedianlethaldosesofthetwoformsofextractsweredeterminedbythemethoddescribedbyLorke.Thequalitativephytochemicalscreeningoftheextractsshowedarelativepresenceofalkaloids,flavonoids,hydrogencyanides,steroids,solublecarbohydrates,tanninsandphenolinthefermentedandunfermentedextracts;whileglycosides,saponinsandreducingsugarswerenotpresentinthefermentedextract.Thequantitativephytochemicalscreeningoftheextractsshowedthepresenceofhighquantitiesofreducingsugars,39.60±0.00mg/100g,solublecarbohydrates,steroidsandalkaloidsfortheunfermentedmethanolextractsofRicinuscommuniswhilethefermentedextractrevealedthepresenceofhighquantitiesoftannins,15.16±0.04mg/100g;flavonoids,4.94±0.03mg/100g;andphenolics12.62±0.04mg/100g.ThemedianlethaldoseoftheunfermentedmethanolseedextractsofRicinuscommunisrecordednodeathataconcentrationof5000mg/kgbodyweightwhilethefermentedextractrecordeddeathatthesameconcentration.Thesmoothmuscleeffectsoftheextractsweredeterminedontherabbitjejunumandpregnantratuterus.Amembrane-depolarizingdrug,acetylcholinewasusedtoinitiatethenormalrhythmiccontractionanditcontractedtherabbitjejunumattheconcentrationof1µg.Adrenaline,anadrenergicreceptorsubstancerelaxedthejejunumattheconcentrationof1µg.Theunfermentedextractrelaxedthejejunumatdifferentdosesof0.1,0.2and0.4mlatthesameconcentrationof0.5µg/ml.Thefermentedextractalsorelaxedthejejunumatdifferentdosesof0.1,0.2,0.4and0.8ml.Prazosin,anα-adrenergicantagonist,blockedtherelaxingeffectofadrenalineatincreasingdosesof0.4,0.8and1.0mlataworkingconcentrationof20µg/ml.Theextractswerealsoaddedinthebathwithprazosin,italsoblockedtherelaxanteffectsoftheextractsatthedosesof0.2and0.4ml.Indomethacin,anon-steroidalanti-inflammatorydrug,ataconcentrationof20µg/ml,hadnoeffectontherelaxanteffectofadrenalineevenathigherdoseof1.0ml.Indomethacinhadnoantagonisticeffectontheextracts,atconcentrationsof0.5µg/ml.Oxytocin,astandarddrugknownforuterinecontractioninitiatedanormalrhythmiccontractionontheuterusataconcentrationof10iu/mlandadoseof0.1ml.Theunfermentedextracthadnosignificanteffectontheuterinetissueataconcentrationof0.5µg/mldoseof0.1mlwhilethefermentedextractcontractedtheuterinetissueatthesameconcentrationanddose.Indomethacin,aprostaglandinsynthesisblocker,alsohadnosignificanteffectontheuterinetissueagainstthestandarddrugsandtheextractsattheconcentrationsof20µg/mland0.5µg/mlrespectively.Ergotamineblockedtheeffectsoftheextractsattheconcentrationof10µg/mlandadoseof1.0ml.Fromtheseresults,itcanbeconcludedthatthefermentedmethanolextractsofRicinuscommunisseedscanserveasanoxytocicagentsforpregnantwomenduringdelayedlabourasclaimedbythetraditionalbirthattendants.
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