Investigation of the Effect of Melissa officinalis L. on Fetal Development by Ultrasonography in Rats

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used to treat many diseases since prehistoric times. With the discovery of new medicinal plants, new therapeutic areas have emerged. On the other hand, the posology of these plants and indications for use during pregnancy or adolescence are still debated. The use of Melissa officinalis L. (M. Officinalis) in traditional medicine is common, but its effect on fetal development is not clear. Ultrasonographic evaluation of fetal development is critical. Unfortunately, ultrasound probe differences used in pregnancy studies in rats are confusing. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to search both possible effects of M. officinalis on fetal development, and test the effectiveness of human breast ultrasound probes in the ultrasonographic evaluation of rat fetuses. Rats were randomly divided into Control and M. officinalis groups. M. officinalis was gavaged for 21 consecutive days 24 hours after mating. Rats in the Control group were treated with the extract of M. officinalis. Ultrasonography examination was performed with the superficial probe used in breast examination in humans. Gestational sac diameters, biparietal diameters, crown-rump lengths, and heart rates of fetuses were measured in both groups. According to our results, ultrasonographic measurements on the 15th, 17th, and 20th days of pregnancy were higher in the M. officinalis group than in the Control group. However, both groups had no statistical significance according to all measurements. As a result, it was concluded that M. officinalis extract might not have any effect on the development of rat fetuses in terms of ultrasonographic examination, whereas pregnancy can be diagnosed with human ultrasonography devices and the development of fetuses can be followed in rats.