Evaluation of In Vitro Uterotonic Activities of Fruit Extracts of Ficus asperifolia in Rats

The aim of the present study was to determine the uterotonic activities of Ficus asperifolia and investigate its mechanism. The effects of aqueous and methanol extracts of the dried fruits of F. asperifolia (0.05–1.60 mg mL(−1)) were evaluated on estrogenized isolated rat uterus in the presence and absence of atropine (1.73–55.27 nM), pyrilamine maleate (1.25 × 10(−3) to 40 × 10(−3) M), indomethacin (0.06 × 10(−5) to 2.00 × 10(−5) M) or hexamethonium (0.66 × 10(−4) to 21.43 × 10(−4) M). Aqueous (EC(50), 0.36 mg mL(−1)) and methanol (EC(50), 0.22 mg mL(−1)) extracts as well as oxytocin (EC(50), 0.02 nM), acetylcholine (EC(50), 7.87 nM) and histamine (EC(50), 0.76 nM) evoked concentration-dependent contractions of the uterus. Atropine, pyrilamine maleate and indomethacin concentration dependently blocked the response of the uterus to acetylcholine (IC(50), 4.82 nM), histamine (IC(50), 2.49 nM) and oxytocin (IC(50), 0.07 nM), respectively, and to aqueous extract. Hexamethonium produced graded decreases in oxytocin-induced uterine contractions (IC(50), 0.37 μM), but did not prevent the contractile effects of the aqueous extract (IC(50), 9.88 μM). These results suggest that F. asperifolia-induced uterotonic effect is related to the release of prostaglandins and contraction of the myometrial cells through muscarinic, oxytocic and H(1) histamine receptors. These data further give added value to the ethnic use of F. asperifolia for its abortificient and contraceptive properties.