Abstract

Most plants culturally used in Brazil for medicine do not have pre-clinical studies of reproductive toxicity, therefore risks of using such products on the reproductive system are unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate possible reproductive toxicity of ethanolic extract of Combretum leprosum Mart and Eicher (EECL) in female Wistar rats. The animals, weighing between 180 to 250 g, were maintained in controlled environmental conditions of temperature, humidity, light/dark cycle of 12/12 h, water ad libitum and fed with commercial diet for rats. To verify the estrogenic activity of EECL, four groups of ovariectomized rats were used: saline + corn oil; saline + estradiol; EECL (500 mg/kg) + corn oil; EECL (500 mg/kg) + estradiol. To study the reproductive toxicity during the fecundation and implantation phases of the embryos and also during the organogenesis phase, two groups were used for each experiment, saline and EECL (500 mg/Kg). No estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activities were observed in the EECL. The ingestion of EECL did not cause modification in the number of implantation sites, which indicates a lack of toxicity during this phase. The EECL administered orally in the dose of 500 mg/kg did not produce adverse effects on the reproductive system of the female rats.

Key words: Estrogenic activity, organogenesis, teratogens