Antifertility Screening of Plants. Part I. Effect of Ten Indigenous Plants on Early Pregnancy in Albino Rats

Abstract

AbstractTen indigenous plants viz., Apium graveolens L., Costus speciosus Sm., Crateva nurvala Buch.-Ham., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Hedychium spicatum Ham., Nerium indicum Mill., Rubia cordifolia L., Rubus ellipticus Sm., Terminalia bellirica Gaertn. and Urtica dioica L., have been screened for antifertility activity in albino rats. 90% ethanolic extract of 3 plants viz., Crateva nurvala (bark), Rubus ellipticus (root) and Terminalia bellirica (bark) showed 60-66% antifertility activity when administered orally at 250 mg/kg dose, in days 1-7 of pregnancy. Ethanolic extract of the aerial part of Rubus ellipticus (whole plant without root) elicited 100% activity even at a considerably lower dose of 50 mg/kg body weight during days 1-3 of pregnancy. The rest of the plants were found ineffective.