[Natural substances regulating fertility. Effect of plant extracts in the Ivory Coast pharmacopoeia on the release of LH by hypophyseal cells in culture].

The in vitro action of hydro-alcoholic extracts of plants from Ivory Coast pharmacopoeia was analyzed on cultured rat pituitary cells. Cells were treated for 24 hours with various doses of extracts and then stimulated for 4 hours with 10(-8) M LHRH. Extracts from Afrormosia laxiflora, Cola nitida, Pterocarpus erinaceus and Tetrapleura tetraptera inhibit the LHRH-induced release of LH. On the contrary, extract from Combretodendron africanum stimulates the basal release of LH and this increase is added to the LHRH-induced release. Therefore, the natural substances contained in these plants may in vitro exert a regulation of the gonadotropin release.