Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development in Rats after Administration of Hydroalcoholic Extract from the Root of Petiveria alliacea L. (Phytolaccaceae)

Abstract

We investigated the effect of hydroalcoholic extract the Petiveria alliacea root on fetal and placental development female rats pregnancy. Thirty female rats were mated and divided in groups: I - rats treated with placebo and sacrificed on the 7thday; II - rats treated with hydroalcoholic extract and sacrificed on the 7thday; III - rats treated with placebo and sacrificed on the 14thday; IV - rats treated with hydroalcoholic extract and sacrificed on the 14thday; V - rats treated with placebo for analysis of the offspring; VI - rats treated with hydroalcoholic extract for analysis of the offspring. The extract was administered by gavage in the dosage of 18mg/kg body wt., in 5thday of pregnancy. The implantation sites and placenta were fixed in Bouin and processed for the embedding in paraffin. The offspring were weighed, measured and counted. The hydroalcoholic extract of the root of the P. alliacea causes significant reduction in the number of implantation sites, but do not cause histological alterations in these sites and placenta. No alterations in the number, length and weight have been observed in offspring. Our results suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract from the P. alliacea in the dosage of 18mg/kg body wt., administered to female rats, on the 5thday of pregnancy, only cause a retard in the implantation process.