Gastrointestinal and uterine smooth muscles relaxant and anti-inflammatory effects of corchorus olitorius leaf extract in laboratory animal models.

ETHNO-PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Corchorus olitorius is reportedly used in ethno-medicine to arrest threatened miscarriage and other conditions associated with excessive uterine contractions. The plant is also used as a purgative, demulscent and an anti-inflammatory agent. AIM OF THE STUDY: Against the background of ethno-medicinal use, this current work was designed to evaluate the gastrointestinal and uterine smooth muscles relaxant and anti-inflammatory effects of Corchorus olitorius leaf extract (COLE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pieces of uterine and gastrointestinal tissues were suspended separately in organ baths containing ideal physiological salt solutions bubbled with air and were tested for responses to standard drugs and COLE, then repeated in the presence of antagonists. Anti-inflammatory study was carried out via the egg albumin-induced paw edema model in rats. RESULTS: The application of COLE to pieces of uterine tissue significantly decreased the amplitudes of contractions in a dose dependent manner such that the highest dose applied (666.67 µg/ml) achieved a 100% inhibitory effect. Oxytocin induced contractions were also significantly inhibited by both salbutamol and COLE. On the isolated rabbit jejunum, the effect of COLE was also inhibitory and like atropine, significantly inhibited acetylcholine induced contractions. In the in vivo study, the extract inhibited charcoal meal movement in test rats when compared with control. Anti-inflammatory effect of COLE was significant and compared favourably with that of aspirin following in vivo trials. CONCLUSIONS: COLE therefore, may be a good tocolytic, anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory agent and offers hope of new drug discovery for such uses.

Semen quality, hormone profile and histological changes in male albino rats treated with Corchorus olitorius leaf extract.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the anti-fertility effect of Corchorus olitorius leaf extract (COLE) was evaluated in adult male rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty rats assigned to 4 groups of 10 rats each, were orally given COLE for 28 days. Group 1 was the control group but groups 2, 3 and 4 were administered with 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight, respectively and were considered the test groups. Blood collection from the animals was performed at the end of treatments and blood samples were used for reproductive hormone assays. Also, sperm sample quality was ascertained, and basic organs were evaluated histologically for all groups. RESULTS: A significant fall in relative organ weights for the testes and prostate was observed following high-dose treatment (p<0.05). Sperm sample pH, and individual sperm motility, viability, progressiveness and concentration decreased, while total abnormalities increased following high-dose (1000 mg/kg) treatment (p<0.05). Serum concentration of FSH significantly increased at 500 and 1000 mg/kg dose levels while LH and testosterone concentrations were significantly higher than control at all dose levels (p<0.05) except estrogen which was higher than control at 250 and 500 mg/kg but lower at 1000 mg/kg dose level. Control testes showed intact histological architecture with mature spermatid density of 300 cells per tubule and well differentiated Leydig cells, while those animals treated with 250 and 500 mg/kg of the extract, were without significant pathology but had average spermatid densities of 200 and 280 cells per tubule, respectively. Significant azoospermia and spermatid density of only 30 cells per tubule and prostatic degeneration were seen in the group treated with 1000 mg/kg body weight of the extract. CONCLUSION: Consumption of high amounts of C. olitorius may inhibit reproductive functions in males.