INVESTIGATION OF PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF ANANAS COMOSUS ON UTERINE ACTIVITY

Abstract

Ripe and unripe Ananas comosus has been used as a traditional medicine in inducing abortion in many countries. However, scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of A. comosus extracts on uterine activity is clearly lacking. This thesis investigated the pharmacological properties of different fractions of A. comosus with a range of maturities on uterine motility in vitro and in vivo. Isolated organ bath study and Immunoblot analysis confirmed that aqueous fraction (F4) could functionally replicate 5-HT property in uterine tissue. Although folklore beliefs highlight the abortifacient properties of unripe A. comosus, in vivo telemetry study demonstrated the lack of efficacy of the unripe F4 to contract the uterus in vivo. The further chemical analysis identified serotonin as a major bioactive compound with higher concentration in ripe F4. Interestingly, in vitro and in vivo studies have also identified the tocolytic activity of ethyl acetate fraction (F2) of A. comosus extract. Further investigation showed the possibility of multiple mechanisms for the tocolytic activity of F2, including antagonizing L-type Ca2+ channels, interfering with the intracellular Ca2+ release mechanism as well as releasing nitric oxide. F2 would be a promising candidate to develop as a tocolytic agent.