What is it about?
This study identifies several compounds from a tropical plant (Ficus exasperata) which has the potential to become drug candidates for the prevention of preterm birth some of them useful for the management of diffcult deliveries or labour. These compounds range from a variety of chemical classes which includes fatty acids, flavonoids, pyrimidines as well as the pheophytin/pheophorbide compounds. Pheophytins are derivatives of cholorophyll which makes it an interesting study.
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Why is it important?
This study for the first time reports the identification of compounds from Ficus exasperata useful for uterine health issues and as such these compounds have the potential to be carried into latter stages of drug discovery. Preterm birth is a significant health burden globally and discoveries such as this are geared towards reduction in the rate of preterm birth. This study also reports for the first time the usefulness of cholorophyll derivatives as potential drugs for uterine pathologies.
Perspectives
This was a very intensive study at the time. Here we report for the first time the effect of pheophytins (chlorophyll derivatives) on uterine contraction. Who would have thought that chlorophyll could give us compounds that may be useful in reproductive health pathologies.
Dr Enitome E Bafor
University of Benin
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The leaves of Ficus exasperata Vahl (Moraceae) generates uterine active chemical constituents, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, February 2013, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.12.020.
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