Pharmacological effects of Agapanthus africanus on the isolated rat uterus

The Agapanthus africanus plant is used by South African traditional healers as a phytomedicine in herbal remedies to treat pregnancy-related ailments and to augment labour. It has already been shown that an aqueous extract of A. africanus causes smooth muscle contractions in the isolated uterus and ileum preparations. In the present study, the effects of an aqueous extract of A. africanus leaves was examined on receptor systems involved in contra ction of the uterine smooth muscle in order to determine the mechanism of i ts pharmacological effect relevant to its ethnic use to augment labour. The extract was tested on the isolated rat uterus preparation. The aqueous ext ract of A. africanus leaves was found to exhibit agonist activity on uterin e muscarinic receptors and to promote the synthesis of prostaglandins in th e oestrogenized rat uterus. Some pharmacological justification for the ethn ic use of A. africanus as a herbal oxytocic in prolonged labour has been pr ovided. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.