Investigation of Turnera ulmifolia effects in pregnant rats and offspring

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Food consumption and water intake of dams treated with an aqueous extract obtained from T. ulmifolia fresh leaves (n = 6/group).

Table 1.  Serum hormone levels of dams at weaning day (n = 6/group).

Hormone	Control	Experimental 1	Experimental 2	Experimental 3
FSH (UI/mL)	0.1 ± 0.0	0.1 ± 0.0	0.12 ± 0.01	0.123 ± 0.015
LH (UI/mL)	0.11 ± 0.01	0.102 ± 0.0	0.102 ± 0.0	0.102 ± 0.002
Estradiol (pg/mL)	28.783 ± 3.515	36.800 ± 6.607	26.52 ± 2.973	26.6 ± 3.349
TSH (UI/mL)	0.149 ± 0.017	0.123 ± 0.004	0.103 ± 0.012	0.109 ± 0.015
T4 (ng/mL)	3.083 ± 0.204	3.675 ± 0.343	3.26 ± 0.383	3.017 ± 0.405

Data are presented as mean ± SEM (ANOVA, p >0.05).

Figure 2.  Tissue portions of kidney (x10) and liver (x40) of control (photos A and C) and experimental (photos B and D) dams. Observe absence of alterations.

Table 2.  Reproductive performance of dams treated, during gestation, with an aqueous extract obtained from fresh leaves of T. ulmifolia (n = 6/group).

Parameters	Control	Experimental 1	Experimental 2	Experimental 3
Pregnancy duration (days)	22 ± 0.45	22.67 ± 0.21	23 ± 0.26	22.33 ± 0.21
Total number of pups/litter	9.5 ± 1.23	9.83 ± 1.19	10 ± 0.86	9.67 ± 0.72
Number of male pups	4 ± 1	4.5 ± 0.5	3.5 ± 0.72	4.67 ± 0.33
Number of female pups	5.5 ± 0.76	5.33 ± 1.17	6.5 ± 0.89	5 ± 0.58
Litter weight at birth (g)	58.7 ± 4.21	56.92 ± 5.99	57 ± 3.88	54.3 ± 4.49

Data are presented as mean ± SEM (ANOVA, p >0.05).

Figure 3.  Body weight gain of female (A) and male (B) pups exposed perinatally to an aqueous extract obtained from T. ulmifolia fresh leaves (n = 6 litter/group).

Table 3.  Physical and reflexological development of pups exposed or not (control group) to the aqueous extract obtained from T. ulmifolia fresh leaves (n = 6 litters/group).

Parameters	Control	Experimental 1	Experimental 2	Experimental 3
Females
AA	14.667 ± 0.426	13.833 ± 0.477	14.000 ± 0.516	14.167 ± 0.543
AOu	16.5 ± 0.428	16.833 ± 0.477	16.167 ± 0.401	16.833 ± 0.401
AO	15.5 ± 0.342	15.333 ± 0.211	15 ± 0.365	15 ± 0.258
DO	4.167 ± 0.4014	3.833 ± 0.167	4 ± 0.258	4.333 ± 0.211
EPo	5.333 ± 0.333	5.167 ± 0.167	5.333 ± 0.2108	5.333 ± 0.211
ED	10 ± 0.365	9.167 ± 0.477	8.5 ± 0.4282	9 ± 0.365
EP	5.833 ± 0.477	6.833 ± 0.601	6 ± 0.730	7.167 ± 0.909
PP	7.333 ± 0.615	8.000 ± 0.516	6.667 ± 0.760	8.16 ± 1.701
Males
AA	14.333 ± 0.558	13.333 ± 0.494	13.667 ± 0.615	13.833 ± 0.654
AOu	16.5 ± 0.428	16.833 ± 0.477	16.167 ± 0.401	16.833 ± 0.401
AO	15.5 ± 0.342	15.667 ± 0.211	15.5 ± 0.428	15.333 ± 0.422
DO	4.333 ± 0.422	3.667 ± 0.211	4 ± 0.258	4.333 ± 0.333
EPo	5.333 ± 0.333	5.167 ± 0.167	5.333 ± 0.211	5.333 ± 0.211
ED	10 ± 0.365	9.167 ± 0.477	8.5 ± 0.428	9.167 ± 0.307
EP	5.833 ± 0.477	6.833 ± 0.601	5.833 ± 0.749	7.167 ± 0.909
PP	7.667 ± 0.760	8.333 ± 0.494	6.833 ± 0.654	8.5 ± 1.384
TD	20 ± 0.894	21 ± 0.516	17.333 ± 0.715	18.667 ± 0.615

Data are presented as mean ± SEM (ANOVA, p >0.05).

AA=adult gait, AOu=ears opening, AO=eye opening, DO=pinna detachment, EPo=surface righting reflex, ED=eruption of incision teeth, EP=coat appearence, PP=palmar grasp, TD=testis descent

Table 4.  Sexual behavior of male adult rats exposed perinatally to T. ulmifolia aqueous extract.

Parameters	Control (n = 6/group)	Experimental 1 (n = 3/group)	Experimental 2 (n = 6/group)	Experimental 3 (n = 3/group)
Latency for 1^st M (second-s)	66.67 ± 20.89	198.33 ± 138.81	22.5 ± 11.57	35.67 ± 30.18
Latency for 1^st I (s)	68.33 ± 18.63	198.33 ± 138.81	46.17 ± 18.69	39 ± 28.68
Latency for 1^st E (s)	1067.71 ± 193.07	981 ± 191.47	642 ± 107.72	1046 ± 442.22
Number of M in 10 min test	7.33 ± 1.78	11 ± 4.93	5.67 ± 2.95	6.67 ± 0.88
Number of I until E	25.33 ± 4.7	26 ± 5.57	20.5 ± 3.33	37.33 ± 9.89
Post-E M latency (s)	338.83 ± 8.81	304.67 ± 25.41	317.33 ± 30.76	297.33 ± 28.88
Total M in 40 min	36.17 ± 3.04	31.67 ± 3.28	35.5 ± 2.63	42.67 ± 5.21
Total I in 40 min	52.33 ± 5.17	57.67 ± 4.10	55.33 ± 9.69	44 ± 17.69
Total number of E	2.5 ± 0.34	1.5 ± 0.72	3.01 ± 0.26	0.83 ± 0.48
Sexual activity score	11.9 ± 0.28	11.73 ± 1.29	12.7 ± 0.79	12.41 ± 1.26
Copulatory efficiency	58.65 ± 4.27	64.61 ± 1.99	57.96 ± 6.48	47.57 ± 10.27

Data are presented as mean ± SEM (ANOVA, p >0.05). M, mounts; I, intromissions; E, ejaculation.