Abortifacient potential of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella in female albino rats

Abstract

Abstract Background: The abortifacient potential of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella was assessed in the present study. Methods: Twenty-four pregnant Wistar albino rats were divided into two groups containing 12 animals in each group. Control group rats were orally administered with distilled water, while rats in the second group received 300 mg/kg b. wt of the seed extract from gestation day 12 to 18, once daily. Half of the rats from both the groups were sacrificed 24 h after the last dose on gestation day 20 and the remaining were allowed to go to full term to deliver vaginally. Results: A significant reduction in maternal final weight, number of implantation sites, average weight of pups, implantation index, number of live fetuses, placental weight, percentage survival of fetuses, progesterone level, as well as the contrasting significant increase in resorption index, post-implantation loss, number of dead fetuses, and percentage of abortions was recorded in the seed extract treated rats. Histology of the uteri exhibited increased myometrium thickness and decreased endometrium thickness with degenerated cubic epithelial cells, uterine glands and increased infiltration of white blood cells in seed extract treated group. The ovaries revealed shrunken and degenerated corpora lutea in extract treated rats. The placentas exhibited degeneration of the junctional zone and the labyrinth in the seed extract treated rats. Fetuses were noticed with deformities in extract treated group. Seed extract treated rats did not deliver any pups until the full term of gestation. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study suggest that the seeds of Caesalpinia bonducella possess abortifacient activity.