Exploring the effect of Lunasia amara blanco as an aid for embryonic implantation and evaluating its hepato-renal architecture

• Main Authors: Capulong, Christine Mae A., Custodio, Laura Carmela B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Cardiopteridaceae—Therapeutic use; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/18687
• Institution: De La Salle University

Lunasia amara Blanco, known as “Lunas” in the Philippines, is a plant commonly used by the Ati Negrito Women of Guimaras Islands. The plant is widely known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties due to the presence of quinolone alkaloids. Moreover, the plant is also known to increase sexual libido and is claimed to induce estrogenic activity. Hence, the study mainly focuses on evaluating the potential benefits of L. amara on maternal and neonatal parameters. The following tests were done in two phases using the rodent uterotrophic assay. For phase I, the delivered female offsprings of 22 days old were tested. Offsprings were divided into four treatment groups: control (C), low concentration (LC), medium concentration (MC), and high concentration (HC) and were given purified water, and 25% v/v, 50% v/v, and 100% v/v concentrations of the leaf extract. Offsprings were then sacrificed to obtain uterine and ovarian morphological analysis and gene expression analysis. Hormone receptors for α, β- estrogen receptors, and PR of uterus and ovaries were enhanced by the plant extract but bear no significant difference among treatment groups (p>0.05). For phase II, twenty-eight (28) 6-week-old female ICR mice were divided into three treatment groups: control (C), low concentration (LC), and high concentration (HC). Treatment groups were given 2.0 mL distilled drinking water, 50% v/v, and 100% v/v leaf decoction (1g leaves boiled in 100 mL distilled drinking water) respectively for 2 weeks before mating, and was continuously given treatment after mating until 14.5 days post coitus (dpc). Dams were sacrificed to obtain the uterus for implantation loss and pregnancy success analysis, and the liver and kidney for histological analysis. Pregnancy success rate was enhanced by the treatment but show no significant difference (p>0.05). In contrast to this, pre and post-implantation losses also increased upon treatment due to abortifacient effects by the presence of quinolone alkaloids. However, this bear no significant difference for each treatment group (p>0.05). Histological analysis of the liver and kidney also show no adverse effects from the plant. Hence, the data obtained from this study cannot strongly represent the ability of L. amara to improve or compromise embryonic implantation. Moreover, the data obtained cannot strongly represent the claim that L. amara contains estrogenic properties.