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Vol. 3, Issue 5, Part A (2018)

Antilactogenic Characteristics of Methanol and Ethyl acetate Crude Extract of Aframomum melegueta seeds in Wistar rats

Author(s): Ibekwe HA
Abstract: The serious side effects associated with orthodox drugs used in controlling excessive milk secretion has necessitated the search for natural alternative with little or no side effects. This study was conducted to ascertain the antilactogenic characteristics of methanol and ethyla cetate crude extracts of Aframomum melegueta seeds in female Wistar rats. The extracts were obtained using soxhlet apparatus with the first divided half re-extracted in methanol and the second in ethyla cetate. A total of 48 female Wistar rats were assigned into two groups of 24 rats, for lactating and non-lactating groups. These were assigned into 4 treatment groups of 6 rats each for non-lactating and lactating rats. Treatments I and ii (controls) received control drug (bromocriptine) and placebo (1ml dimethylsulphoxide in 9ml of normal saline) at doses of 0.11mg/kg and 5ml/kg body weight per day respectively. Treatment iii and iv received methanol and ethylacetate extracts at doses of 100mg/kg and 94 mg/kg body weight respectively via an oral intubation. The administration was carried out for a period of 21 days with food and water given ad libitum. The rats were sacrificed and blood collected by cardiac puncture and serum concentrations of prolactin, estrogen and progesterone were analysed. The result obtained revealed that reference control drug caused significant (P<0.05) reduction in serum levels (12.56+0.89; 10.56+0.26; 2.81+0.12 2.41± 0.80; 127. 96±6.06 and 110. 21+ 1.15 ng/ml) of prolactin, estrogen and progesterone in both non-lactating and lactating rats relative to normal control values of (33.23+ 1.82; 19.90+ 3.16; 3.05+ 0.06; 3.17 + 0.09; 323.43+ 0.20 and 320.60+ 0.19 ng/ml). The methanol extract of Aframomum melegueta seeds like the standard control drug produced significant decrease (26.15+0.15; 14.90+3.16; 2.68+0.08; 2.40+ 0.03; 315.72+7.72; and 318.00+ 2.26 ng/ml in serum prolactin, estrogen but no significant changes in progesterone of both non-lactating and lactating wistar rats relative to normal control rats. Ethylacetate extract however produced significant reduction (21.57+1.82; 22.40+ 1.60; 2.45+0.10; 2.17+ 0.06; 323.03+0.25, 323.42+1.68`ng/ml) in serum prolactin levels of non-lactating rats, estrogen of both non-lactating and lactating rats but no significant (P>0.05) alterations in serum levels of prolactin in lactating and progesterone of non-lactating and lactating rats relative to normal control rats. The result of this study indicates that both extracts of Aframomum melegueta exhibited antilactogenic characteristics with methanol extract on the lead.
Pages: 33-39  |  1203 Views  46 Downloads


International Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry
How to cite this article:
Ibekwe HA. Antilactogenic Characteristics of Methanol and Ethyl acetate Crude Extract of Aframomum melegueta seeds in Wistar rats. Int J Vet Sci Anim Husbandry 2018;3(5):33-39.
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International Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry