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ABSTRACT
Preterm labour is a childbirth complication which is a major cause of childbirth related death and disease. Current interventions contribute less than 3-4% reduction of global pre-term birth rates. Additionally, irregularities in the female sex hormones may increase the possibility of preterm birth and other life-threatening conditions. Current management of these hormonal irregularities are accompanied by several adverse effects leading to the need for alternative remedies which may be found in plants. Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to explore the effects of Justicia flava extract and its active compounds on uterine contractility and some female reproductive functions. This project is also aimed at the systematic identification of the active constituents of the plant. The matured leaves of J. flava (JF) were extracted via maceration in methanol. Mature virgin female albino mice were used for the toxicity, in vitro and reproductive cycle studies while young female mice (20 D) were utilised for the uterotrophic assay. A modified acute toxicity study method was employed where the treatment group received 5 g/kg of JF orally and the control group received 10% tween 80 at 10 mL/kg orally. The uterus was also isolated and uterine segments were mounted in organ baths (10 mL) as JF extract and fractions was tested on spontaneous, high KCl- and oxytocin-induced uterine contractions in both pregnant and non-pregnant uterus. Also JF extracts were tested in physiological solutions free of calcium and in the presence of several uterine receptor agonists and ion channel modulators. JF was also tested on the pregnant human uterus. Uterotrophic assay was also carried out to assess for oestrogenic potentials of JF and the effect of JF on the mouse oestrus cycle was also investigated. Liquid chromatography – high resolution fourier transform mass spectroscopy (LC-HRFTMS) analysis was carried out on the crude extract of JF to identify its constituents. Data from all the assays was obtained as mean±SEM using the GraphPad Prism software.
