Relaxant effect of Jatropha gossypiifolia L. on uterine smooth muscle
Keywords:
Jatropha gossypiifolia L., uterine smooth muscle, calcium influx and relaxationAbstract
Jatropha gossypiifolia L. (Euphorbiaceae) is popularly known in Brazil as pião roxo and extensively used for hypotensive, spasmolytic and tocolytic purposes. In the present work, ethanolic extract and fractions from aerial parts of J. gossypiifolia L. were assayed for their effects on calcium-evoked uterine smooth muscle contraction. Rat uterus strips were incubated with ethanolic extract (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml), chloroformic fraction (0.25; 0.5 mg/ml) or aqueous fraction (0.25; 0.5 mg/ml). Ethanolic extract promoted a rightward displacement of calcium cumulative curves, as well as, reduced the maximal contractions in 27.3% and 80.3% (0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml, respectively). Clhoroformic fraction inhibited the responsiveness of uterine muscle to calcium causing the maximal contractile response to be reduced in 27.4 % and 45.1 %, respectively. On the other hand, these parameters were only slightly reduced in the presence of aqueous fraction. Taken together, our results suggest that ethanolic extract and fractions from J. gossypiifolia reduce calcium-evoked contractile response of the uterine smooth muscle, corroborating its ethnopharmacological application as tocolytic remedy.
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