Search

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Degener (yellow passion) juice on the lipid profile and oxidative stress status of Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided in two groups ( n=8 animals per group): the control group, which received water, and the treated group, which was given P. edulis juice (1,000 mg/kg). Both groups received by gavage treatment twice a day for 28 days. The treated group showed an increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level and decreased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and free fatty acid levels compared with the control group. Levels of triglycerides and and very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, superoxide dismutase activity, and total glutathione concentration were not statistically different between the two groups, but the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances concentration (indicating lipid peroxidation) decreased in the treated group. These findings suggests that P. edulis juice in the experimental conditions used showed beneficial effects on lipid profile and improved lipid peroxidation in Wistar rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants and herbs have been used by women throughout history for therapeutic purposes. Strychnos pseudoquina, a plant used in the treatment of various diseases, can also function as an abortive herb. There is no scientific confirmation of its effects during pregnancy, and the activity of this plant needs to be substantiated or refuted with experimental evidence. Evaluating the effect of the S. pseudoquina aqueous extract on maternal reproductive toxicity and fetal development. The aqueous extract of S. pseudoquina bark was evaluated in Wistar rats. Pregnant rats were distributed into four experimental groups (n = 12 rats/group): Control = treated with water (vehicle); Treated 75, Treated 150, and Treated 300 = treated with S. pseudoquina at dose 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg, respectively. The rats were treated by an intragastric route (gavage) from day 0 to day 21 of pregnancy. At the end of pregnancy, maternal reproductive outcomes, organs, biochemical and hematological profiles, fetuses, and placentas were analyzed. Maternal toxicity was evaluated through body weight gain, water, and food intake. With knowledge of the harmful dosage of the plant, other rats were used on gestational day 4 for the evaluation of morphological analyses before embryo implantation. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The S. pseudoquina treatment showed elevated liver enzymatic activities. The Treated 300 group presented toxicity with reduced maternal body weight, water and food intake, and increased kidney relative weight compared to those of the Control group. At a high dosage, the plant presents an abortifacient activity, confirmed by embryo losses before and after implantation and degenerated blastocysts. In addition, the treatment contributed to an increased percentage of fetal visceral anomalies, decreased ossification sites, and intrauterine growth restriction (300 mg/kg dose). In general, our study showed that an aqueous extract of S. pseudoquina bark caused significant abortifacient activity that testified to its traditional use. Furthermore, the S. pseudoquina extract caused maternal toxicity that contributed to impaired embryofetal development. Therefore, the use of this plant should be completely avoided during pregnancy to prevent unintended abortion and risks to maternal-fetal health. [Display omitted] • The steam bark of S. pseudoquina presents many amino acids and biogenic amines. • The S. pseudoquina aqueous extract induced maternal toxicity in pregnancy of rats. • The administration of this plant caused embryonic losses. • The S. pseudoquina caused intrauterine growth restriction in fetuses. • This plant administrated in pregnant rats induced fetal anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Croton urucurana presents several beneficial pharmacological properties. In Brazil, women who intend to interrupt the pregnancy indiscriminately use extracts of this plant as an abortifacient agent. Aim of study To evaluated the effect of aqueous extract of Croton urucurana latex on the maternal-fetal repercussions in rats. Methods Pregnant rats were randomly distributed into four experimental groups: Control=treated with water (vehicle); Treated 200=treated with a dose 200 mg/kg; Treated 400=dose 400 mg/kg and; and Treated 800=dose 800 mg/kg. The rats were orally treated by gavage with Croton urucurana or vehicle (water) during whole pregnancy. At term of pregnancy, all rats were killed to obtain maternal blood and tissues samples and fetal weight and anomaly analyses. Results C. urucurana treatment (Treated 400 and Treated 800) showed elevated liver enzymatic activities, reduced fetal body weight and placental efficiency. The Treated 800 group presented increased maternal total protein and cholesterol levels, and heart relative weight. All treated groups presented reduced maternal body weight and food intake, and increased pre-implantation loss rate compared to those of Control group. In addition, the treatment contributed to increased skeletal and visceral anomalies with higher doses. Conclusion Croton urucurana treatment caused maternal toxicity, which contributed for impairment embryo fetal development. These results showed that the indiscriminate use of plants during pregnancy should be avoided to prevent potential risk on maternal health as well as their offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curatella americana L. is employed in popular medicine for treating diabetes. However, the understanding around its outcomes during pregnancy is unclear. To evaluate the phytochemical and hypoglycemic analysis of the C. americana extract and its maternal-fetal effect on diabetic rats. Diabetes was chemically induced 24 h after birth in Wistar female newborn rats. At adulthood, after diabetes status confirmation, the rats were mated and randomized into four experimental groups: Nondiabetic (Control): given water; Treated: given C. americana extract; Diabetic, and Treated Diabetic rats. The aqueous extract of C. americana leaves (300 mg/kg) was administered daily through oral route during pregnancy. Maternal toxicity and biochemical profile, reproductive outcomes, fetal development, and phenolic composition and biogenic amines in aqueous extract were analyzed. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the main phenolic components are 3-hydroxytyrosol, kaempferol, and quercetin, while tryptophan and putrescine derivatives were identified as the dominant amines. C. americana extract treatment improved the lipid profile, although no effect on hyperglycemic control in diabetic rats was observed. Maternal diabetes or C. americana extract caused embryo losses confirmed by the lower number of pre-embryos in early pregnancy and higher percentage of abnormal morphologically pre-embryos. C. americana extract previously caused premature pre-embryo fixation before implantation window in nondiabetic and diabetic mothers and intrauterine growth restriction in the fetuses of treated nondiabetic dams, complicating the embryo fetal development. These findings reinforce the caution of indiscriminate use of medicinal plants, especially during pregnancy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Azadirachta indica A. Juss, popularly known as neem, presents medicinal and insecticide properties. However, the repercussions of the neem maternal treatment on fetal development should be investigated. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluated the effects of Azadirachta indica (neem) on the frequency of congenital malformations in fetuses from rats. Materials and methods: Pregnant rats were randomly distributed into three experimental groups: NT=non-treated; TOil=treated with neem seed oil (1.2mL/day); TAP=treated with active principle of Azadirachta indica (azadirachtin—1.0mg/mL/day). The neem oil (1.2mL/day) or azadirachtin (1.0mg/mL/day) treatments were orally administered throughout pregnancy. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7, 14 and 20 of pregnancy. Oral glucose test tolerance (OGTT) was performed at day 17 of pregnancy for estimation of total area under the curve (AUC). At term, the fetuses were collected and external and internal (visceral and skeletal) malformations were analyzed. Results: The data showed that the dams treated with neem seed oil and Azadirachtin had no significant change in glucose levels and AUC. It was also verified that neem oil treatment contributed to increase the frequency of malformation/variation, in particular the visceral in their fetuses, while neither significant result was observed in TAP group. Conclusion: In conclusion, neem seed oil treatment administered during pregnancy caused abnormalities in rat fetuses, showing teratogenic effect but the Azadirachtin (active principle) presented no impairment in the fetuses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: The role of Azadirachta indica (neem) against Chagas disease and its antibiotic and antidiabetic action have been demonstrated in non-pregnant animals. However, the effects of neem on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress during pregnancy remain to be investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Azadirachta indica (neem) on maternal reproductive performance and biochemical parameters in non-diabetic and streptozotocin-induced mild diabetic rats (MD). Materials and methods: Pregnant rats were randomly distributed into six experimental groups: ND=non-treated non-diabetic (n=13); NDOil=non-diabetic treated with 1.2mL/day neem seed oil (n=12); NDPA=non-diabetic treated with 1.0mg/mL/day azadirachtin (n=12); D=non-treated diabetic (n=13); DOil: diabetic treated with neem seed oil (n=12), and DPA=diabetic treated with azadirachtin, n=13. Treatment with either neem oil (1.2mL/day) or azadirachtin (1.0mg/mL/day) was orally administered throughout pregnancy. Glucose test tolerance (GTT) was performed at day 17 of pregnancy and used as an inclusion criterion. At term pregnancy, maternal reproductive outcomes, lipid profile and oxidative stress status were assessed. Results: Treatment with neem oil and azadirachtin during pregnancy (1) had no hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic effects on non-diabetic and diabetic rats, respectively; (2) affected OGTT glycemic levels in diabetic rats; (3) increased the proportion of fetuses classified as small for pregnancy age (SPA) in all groups; and (4) did not interfere with the lipid profile in non-diabetic dams. Neem oil reduced the rate of total cholesterol and NEFA in diabetic animals. Both neem oil and azadirachtin increased lipoperoxidation, characterized by increased MDA levels in non-diabetic rats. Conclusion: Both neem seed oil and azadirachtin impaired intrauterine development and altered antioxidant/oxidative status during pregnancy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Phyllanthus niruri is a well-known plant for its therapeutic purposes to treat various diseases, being widely used by the population, mainly by women. However, there is no scientific confirmation of the effects of use during pregnancy. Evaluating the effect of Phyllanthus niruri aqueous extract on the maternal toxicity, reproductive outcomes and fetal anomaly incidence in rats. Pregnant rats were distributed into four experimental groups: Control = treated with water (vehicle); Treated 150 = treated with P. niruri at dose 150 mg/kg and; Treated 300 = treated with P. niruri at dose 300 mg/kg; and Treated 600 = treated with P. niruri at dose 600 mg/kg. The rats were treated by intragastric route (gavage) with P. niruri or vehicle (water) from gestational day 0 to 21. At day 21 of pregnancy, maternal reproductive outcomes, biochemical profile and maternal renal tissue were evaluated. The fetuses and placentas were collected and analyzed. Treatment with P. niruri did not alter the reproductive performance outcomes of rats. However, treated 600 group presented with changes in maternal kidney weight and morphology. The plant did not present teratogenic effect, but caused fetal macrosomia and increased ossification sites. Treatment with aqueous extract of P. niruri administered during gestation did not cause reproductive toxicity, but led to changes in maternal kidneys and in offspring weight, showing that the leaf extract of this plant can produce detrimental effects during pregnancy. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]