title: Effects of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Marrubium vulgare in female rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of ethanol-water (80:20) extract of Marrubium vulgare (M. vulgare) on the hematological parameters, macroscopic and histological aspects of the uterus and fetus in non-pregnant and pregnant rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female rats were divided into 4 equal groups (n = 9), group N (normal rats) and group G (pregnant rats) considered as control groups, group NE (normal rats treated with the ethanol-water (80:20, v/v) extract of M. vulgare) and group GE (pregnant rats treated with the extract). The ethanol-water (80:20) plant extract was administered in a single daily dose 1 g/kg at the morning, during 19 d. On the 19 day of the experiment, animals were sacrificed, the uterus and fetuses were removed for the morphological and histological studies and the blood was collected in EDTA tubes for the measurement of hematological parameters with the use of an automate 'HORIBA ABX Micros 60 Hematology Analyzer'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed, in group NE and GE, a significant decrease on hematological parameters: red blood cells (NE: 18.6%; GE: 38.4%), hematocrit (NE: 13.8%; GE: 20.4%), hemoglobin (NE: 12.1%; GE: 8.3%) and mean corpuscular volume (NE: 6.4%; GE: 2%) with P more less a 0.05. Indeed, the extract of M. vulgare caused a significant decrease on the mean implantations of fetuses (82.5%, P < 0.001) and their size (47.2%, P < 0.01). As for the macroscopic and histological appearance of uterus, our data showed no change in normal treated rats. In contrast, the treated pregnant rats showed a severe histological change characterized by the existence of location of stopped gestation. Furthermore, it was also found in the uterus of these rat lyses placental and embryo tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All these results support the hypothesis of an abortifacient effect of M. vulgare.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Department of Life Sciences, 7021 Jarzouna, University of Carthage, Tunisia; INNTA, SURVEN Research Laboratory (Monitoring and Nutritional Epidemiology in Tunisia), 1006 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Rim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aouni
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Department of Life Sciences, 7021 Jarzouna, University of Carthage, Tunisia; Laboratoire Biomonitoring of the Environment, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, 7021 Jarzouna, University of Carthage, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mossadok
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Attia
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic InstituteMohamed Kassâb, Laboratory of Cyto-Morphology and Anatomy Pathologic, Av Habib Bourguiba 2010 Ksar said, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Habib
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jaafoura
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Clinical Laboratory of Biochemistry, Bab Saâdoun 1007, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bibi-Derbel
authors.affiliation: INNTA, SURVEN Research Laboratory (Monitoring and Nutritional Epidemiology in Tunisia), 1006 Tunis, Tunisia; Ecole Superior of Science and Technology of Health of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Street 4021, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: haouari.mustapha@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mustapha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haouari
keywords: Abortificiant effect; Fetuses; Hematological parameters; Histology; Uterus; Vegetal extract