Antifertility activity of Artemisia vulgaris leaves on female Wistar rats / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To evaluate the antifertility activity of Artemisia vulgaris leaves on female Wistar rats.@*METHOD@#The plant extract was tested for its effect on implant formation at two dose levels, 300 and 600 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The effective methanolic plant extract was further studied for estrogenic potency on ovariectomised immature female Wistar rats.@*RESULTS@#The data presented in this study demonstrate the antifertility potential of Artemisia vulgaris methanolic leaf extract, which shows a strong and significant decrease in implant formation (100%), and a strong estrogenic effect resulting in a significant increase in uterine weight in immature ovariectomised rats. These observations suggest that the methanolic extract of Artemisia vulgaris leaves has strong anti-implantation activity and estrogenic activity.@*CONCLUSION@#The methanolic plant extract of A. vulgaris has antifertility activity.

Genetic sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n propylthiouracil: a new risk determinant for dental caries in children.

The aims of the present study were to contrast the prevalence of dental caries in children with different genetic sensitivity levels to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and to determine the taste quality and taste intensity preferences of food products among the taster and nontaster groups. Overall caries experience (dmfs/DMFS) was significantly higher for nontasters than tasters. Caries experience on the available surfaces (dfs/DFS) was found to be significantly higher in nontasters than in medium tasters and in medium tasters than in supertasters (r=-0.41, P < 0.001). Majority of the nontasters were sweet likers and preferred strong tasting food products, while majority of the supertasters were sweet dislikers and preferred weak tastes. There was a significant increase in the overall caries experience in the population, as the genetic ability to detect PROP taste decreased ( P < 0.001). After all associated factors (age, gender, race, number of teeth and OHI-S) were controlled; multiple linear regression analyses revealed that taste was the only variable significantly related to overall caries experience.