Scientists validate plants to ease birthing process, alleviate labour

VARIETIES of plants are used by pregnant mothers in rural areas and low-income populations of sub-Saharan Africa for their ability to hasten labour or to increase the frequency and intensity of contractions.

The stem-bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens is one of such plants many low-income earning pregnant women in North-Central Nigeria reported to hospitals to have hastened childbirth.

In a new study, researchers investigated the effect of cold water extract of Erythrophleum suaveolens on the womb and proved as true the folkloric claim of its use to induce labour.

Erythrophleum suaveolens is known as the “Ordeal Tree” due to a traditional practice in some African cultures where a preparation made from the bark is used as an ordeal poison. It is called Ihi (Igbo), Obo, Erun-obo (Yoruba) and Oginni or Oginyi (Edo).

In certain traditional medicinal practices, various parts of Erythrophleum suaveolens, including the bark, leaves, and roots, are used as cure for a variety of diseases and also cultivated for ornamental purposes.

In traditional medicine, the stem bark decoction is used for the treatment of conditions such as malaria, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatism, arthritis and skin infections. It is also reported to be used as poison or repellant against rodents, insects and some aquatic animals.

In the animal models, the water extract of the stem-bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens exerted a dose-dependent and sustained contraction effect on the muscles of the wombs of guinea pigs. These are animals that have never given birth to live babies, so authenticating the folkloric claim for its use to induce labour.

The 2022 study was published in the World Journal of Advanced Science and Technology.

The present study shows that the contractile response of the extract resembles that of oxytocin with sustained contractions compared with oxytocin and ergometrine. These are standard medicines to stimulate contraction and are, therefore, used to assist labour, remove retained placenta and control excessive bleeding at childbirth.

The researchers, however, said further studies on its mechanism of action and its use for fertility control should be explored.

Also, a survey in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology indicated that pregnant women In Nigeria also use water extracts of Calotropis procera (apple of sodom, Bomubomu-Yoruba), Commelina africana (day flower, Gbagodo-Yoruba), Duranta repens (sky flower, yellow garden-Nigeria) and Hyptis suaveolens (bush mint, Ebefue-Edo) to facilitate childbirth and to reduce associated pain.

Others are Ocimum gratissimum (African basil, Efinrin-Yoruba), Saba comorensis (rubber vine, Eciwo-Hausa or Orombo-Ososo), Sclerocarya birrea (jelly plum, Loda- Hausa), Sida corymbosa (broom weed, Aramwemmvbi-Edo) and Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf, Ebeoyara-Edo or Ewuro-Yoruba).

Interestingly, scent leaf and bitter leaf are regularly consumed as food additives during pregnancy, normally in the form of soup called bitter leaf soup, to promote easy progression, strengthen or tone the uterus muscle and prevent complications, such as pain, bleeding and abortion.

However, during labour, these two plants are administered fresh as squeezed leaves or aqueous extracts.

Occasionally, the stem bark of Calotropis procera made into powder is macerated in water for a few hours and extract is taken orally to dilate the birth canal during labour. Also, the decoction of fresh leaves of Hyptis suaveolens are also to reduce the length of labour and its pains.

However, the researchers reported that the extracts of Commelina africana, Sida corymbosa and bitter leaf yielded the biggest increases in contractility in the uterine model.

Also, most of the extracts maintained the contractile effect for 2.5 – 3.5 hours, suggesting an added benefit in terms of being long-acting and having a sustained womb contractility action, making them especially valuable to reduce the risks associated with heavy bleeding after childbirth.

In fact, a study said bitter leaf may indeed contain a potent uterotonic agent, since aqueous extracts of this plant induced uterine contraction amplitudes in guinea pig dams that are similar to those of ergometrine, a conventional medication to induce labour.

In a 2019 study, researchers in the African Journal of Biotechnology validated Launaea taraxacifolia used by the traditional health practitioners in Sokoto to ease labour pains and augment labour, thereby facilitating child birth. It produced a dose-dependent effect in easing labour.

L. taraxacifolia at 1600 mg/kg was 0.08 times more potent than oxytocin, which is a gold standard uterotonin in non-pregnant rats. This was, however, not the case with the pregnant rat womb. The reason for this is not fully understood but may be due to the presence of different components in the crude extract used, some of which may even have antagonistic effects.

Launaea taraxacifolia common names wild lettuce or African lettuce and locally known as Noomen barewa in Hausa or Yanrin in Yoruba. The plant is fed to nursing cattle to increase milk production and also given to livestock to induce multiple births.

 

READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• Customers to pay more as DisCos effect new electricity tariff July

• I’m lucky to have Dangote as friend, Bill Gates opens up

• ‘Porn rewires your brain’, Banky W says during Sunday service

• #SierraLeoneDecides2023: Emulate Peter Obi’s leadership skills, politicians urged

• MONDAY LINES: A service chief for the Igbo

• EDITORIAL: Citizen Chinedu Eze’s story and justice system