Justicia insularis
T. Anders (Acanthaceae) is a medicinal plant whose leaves and those of three other plants are
mixed for the preparation of a concoction used to improve fertility and to reduce labour pains in women of the Western
Region of Cameroon. Previous studies have demonstrated the inducing potential on ovarian folliculogenesis and
steroidogenesis of the aqueous extract of the leaf mixture (ADHJ) of four medicinal plants (
Aloe buettneri
,
Dicliptera
verticillata
,
Hibiscus macranthus
and
Justicia insularis) among which the later represented the highest proportion. This study
was aimed at evaluating the ovarian inducing potential of J. insularis in immature female rats. Various doses of the aqueous
extract of
J. insularis were daily and orally given, for 20 days, to immature female rats distributed into four experimental
groups of twenty animals each. At the end of the experimental period some biochemical and physiological parameters of
ovarian function were assayed. The administration of the aqueous extract of
Justicia insularis significantly induced an early
vaginal opening in all treated groups (P < 0.001) as well as an increase (at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg) in the number of
hemorrhagic points,
Corpus luteum, implantation sites, ovarian weight, uterine and ovarian proteins. Ovarian cholesterol
level (P < 0.05) significantly decreased in animals treated with the lowest dose (12.5 mg/kg). The evaluation of the
toxicological effects of the extract on pregnancy showed that it significantly increased pre- and post-implantation losses,
resorption index and decreased the rate of nidation as well as litter’s weight. These results suggest that the aqueous extract of
Justicia insularis induces ovarian folliculogenesis thus justifying its high proportion in the leaf mixture of ADHJ.
