Journal of Advanced Biomedical Sciences

Background & Objective: The use of herbal medicine rapidly increased because in comparison with chemical drugs they have less harmful health effects. Since some pregnant women due to have joint and muscle pains may be taken administration of Elaeagnus angustifolia by their own or physicians and the use of Elaeagnus angustifolia may have adverse effects on their fetuses development. This study investigated the effect of aqueous extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia on histomorphometric changes of the hippocampus of mouse fetuses.
Material & Methods: : Twenty-one pregnant mice were randomly divided into three groups. The control group received sufficient amount of drinking water, the sham group received 20 ml of water (solvent of Elaeagnus angustifolia) daily and the experimental group received aqueous Elaeagnus angustifolia extract at dose of 500 mg / kg daily from 0 to 20  days of gestation. Pregnant mice were killed on the 20th day of pregnancy and the fetuses were removed and examined for external congenital malfomations. Fetal body weights and crown-to-rump lengths were measured. The head of fetuses were fixed and processed  and were then embedded and their heads were coronally sectioned and were then stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Finally the hippocampus of fetal brain were examined using a light microscope and the Motic software. Finally, the thickness and cell number of radial, stratum  oriens, molecular and ventricular hippocampus were evaluated using ligth microscopy and Motic software.
Results: Mean fetal weight and CRL of fetuses and mean thickness of ventricular layer in CA1 and CA2 significantly increased in experimental group compared to control and sham groups. The mean thickness of radiatum layer of CA3 significantly decreased in experimental group compared to control and sham groups. Additionally, mean number of cells in ventricular layer of CA1 significantly increased in experimental group compared to control and sham groups.
Conclusion: Administration of aqueous extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia to pregnant mice can cause changes in fetal development and cause some changes in the hippocampal formation CA1 and CA3 neuronal layer in the mouse embryo.