Author(s):

Ashwani Chumber and Teresa Degolier

Abstract: Pregnant women, as they prepare for labor, often seek herbal treatments as a more natural and holistic approach to medicine. This study used isolated uterine tissues from mice to investigate smooth muscle contractility in response to Indian Ayurveda herbals. The herbals chosen are typically used in the Indian cuisine, and are also used to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. The extracts were ajwain, cumin, dill, fenugreek, and papaya. All produced contractile forces that were greater than the tissues own spontaneous motility (p < 0.001). At similar concentrations, fenugreek produced the strongest contractile forces and cumin the weakest (90.4% and 58.5% of individual oxytocin control responses, respectively). These results provide support for the rural and traditional use of these herbals in facilitating childbirth. These results also create an awareness of the uterotonic properties of common spices, information which might be applicable to the treatment plans of midwives and other medical practitioners.

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