Reason women should be cautious of herbal preparations

By Sade Oguntola - updated: Thursday 19-02-2009

A pregnant woman Herbs like Acanthus montanus, a shrub, are widespread in Africa and used in traditional medicine for the treatment of infections of the urinary and genital tract pain, cough, backache, chest pain and rheumatic pains. The plant is used in Cameroun to treat pains and threatened abortion whereas in southeastern Nigeria, the root is popular and acclaimed as effective in the treatment of boils.

The plant, also known as “Bear’s breeches,” “Mountain thistle,” “false thistle” or “Alligator plant,” is popular in southern Nigeria where it is variously called “Elele-nyijuo”, “Agamsoso” and “Agameru.”It is called Inyinyi ogwu by the igbo and the yoruba call it Ahon-Ekun or Irunmu arugbo.

In southeastern Nigeria, the Igede people of Benue State and Enugu-Ezike community of Enugu State treat boils using the root poultice. Applying the root poultice is believed to cause “boil ripening,” a lay expression for enhancement of pus accumulation in the boil thought to indicate that the infection has been surmounted.

A survey on its uses at the herbal markets in Lagos by researchers from the University of Lagos had it that it is used for treating syphilis, cough, blood shortage(anaemia), as a worm expeller and purgative by many Yoruba speaking people.

Dr. Charles Okoli and his colleagues from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, evaluating its root as a traditional remedy for boils, attributed its effectiveness for taking care of boils to substances in it that kills germs and subdues swelling in the affected area of the body. In addition, they thought that the root must have enhanced the host’s ability to combat the infection through stimulation of the body’s immune response.

In 2004, aqueous leaves extract of Acanthus montanus, researchers from the University of Yaoundé, proved to be effective as a pain reliever and in the reduction of high body temperature in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. The aqueous extract was obtained by hot water maceration of the root powder.

The usefulness of the extract may be limited to conditions such as obtained in boils and which is consistent with the ethnomedicinal use of the plant roots. However, the extract may not offer any relief when used in disorders of chronic inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Helicobacter pylori, a major cause of ulcers, is one of the several germs that the leave extract of Acanthus montanus is able to destroy. The susceptibility of extract of Acanthus montanus, some Cameroun researchers said in Journal of Ethnopharmacology, makes the plant a potential source of cheap starting materials for the production of new drugs for ulcers.

Similarly, researchers from the Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, in their assessment of the plant, found that there is a scientific basis for African traditional medicine using Acanthus montanus for treating cough, backache, chest pain and rheumatic pains.

Despite being a medicine to treat pain, ulcer and so on, its safety in pregnant woman or those having infertility problem, especially when used in high amounts, has, however, been questioned by some other experts.

In 2008, Cameroun researchers actually tried assessing the impact of using a high dose of the plant extract in Wistar rats. University of Yaoundé researchers in the journal, Methods Find Exp Clinical Pharmacology, wanted to determine the effect A. montanus aqueous extract would have on the estrous cycle ( regular occurring periods during which the female is sexually active and receptive) before and after conception as well as proffer how it occurs.

The estrous cycles of Wistar rats were monitored before, during and after oral administration of distilled water (control) or different amounts of the aqueous extract of the plant. Furthermore, pregnant rats received the similar amount of doses of aqueous extract on for one to six days when it is thought that the fertilised egg is yet to be implanted in the womb, or six to 15 days that it was certain conception had been established. They were sacrificed on day 8 or 20 of pregnancy, respectively. Their finding was that the extract, irrespective of dose, reversibly prolonged the different stages of the estrous cycle. However, at doses of 1000 mg/kg/day, the extract caused appreciable reduction in the number of fertilised eggs that could be established for growth inside the womb, meaning that it can prevent conception. Though in those whose pregnancies had been established, irrespective of the doses taken, it did not lead to miscarriage in the Wistar rats, but it was found that the extract also delayed growth of their babies.

In addition, if the result of the assessment of its toxicity and effects on growth development in Wistar rats could be translated directly to humans, scientists from the Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé, cautioned on its use in treatment of threatened abortion.

Reporting their findings in the 2008 March edition of Journal of Ethnopharmacology, they said that even though the use of the extract at various doses is safe for the mother, but it was still toxic to the organs of their baby that was under the formation stage.

Actually, in the sacrificed pregnant animals, they observed that their pups during the early formative stages manifested a reduction in body weight, crown-rump and tail lengths. It also affected proper bone formation, especially bones of parts of bodies in the extremities like the legs and arms.
While after delivery, these signs of growth retardation were seen before day 5, and henceforth, the treated pups regained all their parameters to normality, but none can tell what would happen in the case of humans.