Effects of Alpinumisoflavone and Abyssinone V-4′-Methyl Ether Derived from Erythrina lysistemon (Fabaceae) on the Genital Tract of Ovariectomized Female Wistar Rat

Erythrina lysistemon is an African medicinal plant used as a palliative for problems in women. The crude extract of this plant was shown to exhibit estrogenic effects on the female rat reproductive tract and on cell cuture. Using classic chromatographic methods, two compounds have been isolated as major constituents of this extract: alpinumisoflavone (1) and abyssinone V-4'-methyl ether (2). To determine whether both compounds are actives principles accounting for E. lysistemon effects, we applied the classic 3-day uterotrophic assay. We also carried out a ligand binding assay to determine whether the observed effects are estrogen receptor (ER) mediated. This study showed that whereas compound 1 displayed a fourfold preference for ERa, compound 2 bound ERa and ER beta with a same affinity. The in vivo study showed that compound 1 increased the uterine wet weight by 182.23% (p?