Antifertility activity of some medicinal plants.

Abstract

In Indian folklore medicine a number of medicinal plants are claimed to have oral contraceptive value. A systematic investigation of their active constituents has been undertaken and the results of preliminary screening of their antifertility activities are reported. The following species collected locally were studied: Abrus pecatorius L. leaves and seeds; Adhatoda vasica nees leaves; Aloe barbadensis Mill leaves and roots; Ananas comosus Merr. rhizomes; Digitalis lanata Ehrh. leaves; Mallotus philippinensis Muell.-Arg. seeds; Moringa pterygosperma Gaertn. bark; Piper betle L. leaves and roots; Piper longum L. leaves and roots; Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. flowers leaves and roots; and Stephania hernandifolia (Willd.) Walp. rhizomes. When possible fresh material was minced and pressed and the juice was used directly in screening. Dried materials were powdered and extracted. Separate extractions were made with petroleum ether alcohol and water. Filtered extracts were analyzed for chemical constituents and then evaporated to dryness. The dry residue was fed to animals either in aqueous solution or tragacanth emulsion. Various doses of extracts were fed to albino mice 7 days before and 14 days during mating. The females were observed for pregnancy during the next 14 days. In the case of rats the drug was fed on the day spermatozoa were detected in the vaginal smear and continued 4 more days. On the basis of repeated tests it was observed that the leaves of A. precatorius A. vasica D. lanata and S. sesban and leaves and roots of P. betle and P. longum and seeds of M. philippinensis and bark of M. pterygosperma had no antifertility activity. Petroleum ether extract of A. precatorius seeds showed antifertility activity but the extract was toxic. Petroleum ether extract and the alcoholic extract of A. comosus rhizomes and aqueous extracts of S. sesban flowers and A. barbadensis leaves showed antifertility activity. Petroleum ether extract of S. hermandifolia showed fertility-promoting activity in a colony of 100 rats by a 20% increase in litters while the alcoholic extract on the contrary showed antifertility activity.