CONTRACTILE EFFECT OF SOME EXTRACTS FROM THE LEAVES OF MUSANGA-CECROPIOIDES (CECROPIACEAE) ON UTERINE SMOOTH-MUSCLE OF THE RAT

Portions of the hot water extract, chloroform and n-butanol fractions or the leaves of Musanga cecropioides were used to challenge uterine strips from nonpregnant and early stage pregnant (3-8 days) female Wistar rats. Uterine strips were obtained from oestrogenized females. The aqueous and n-butanol extracts (10 mg/L showed very marked uterotonic effects which were more pronounced in the pregnant females. These contractile effects were dose-dependent and comparable to oxytocin and acetylcholine (100-mu-g/mL) but were all antagonized by ethanol, a potent Ca2t channel antagonist. These effects may account for the abortifacient properties of the extracts observed in previous in vivo trials.