Abstract
Control of population is very important in these years. A wide variety of synthetic contraceptive agents are available, but these cannot be used continuously due to their side effects. Thus the present study was undertaken to evaluate the antifertility effect of aqueous extract ofTinospora cordifolia stem studied in male Albino Wistar rats. Male rats were orally administered with aqueous extract of T. cordifolia stem (100 mg/kg of body weight/day, for 60 days) and effect of treatment on reproductive organ weights: fertility potential and sperm count were evaluated. The treatment caused decrease in weight of testis, epididymis and prostate. The treatment caused a significant reduction in average litter size, sperm count, number of viable and motile sperm. The administration of aqueous extract of T. cordifolia led to alteration in both the histoarchitecture of testis and epididymis. The results revealed that the aqueous extract of T. cordifolia stem has spermicidal and antiandrogenic activity. Key words: Tinospora cordifolia, antifertility, antiandrogenic, spermicidal activity
Highlights
Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and an impressive number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources
All the female rats that mated with the control male rats delivered litters, whereas only two of these 12 female rats that mated with test male rats delivered litters
The decrease in fertility potential that was reported in male rats treated with aqueous extract has been attributed to decreased sperm count, impairment in sperm motility and viability
Summary
Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and an impressive number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources. World Health Organization suggested that effective, locally available plants be used as substitutes for drugs. Since the population explosion is a leading cause of poverty and pollution in developing countries, they created a population control programme, which includes studies of traditional medical practices. Fertility control is an issue of global and national public health concern. Current methods of contraceptive result in an unacceptable rate of unintended pregnancies. 50% of all pregnancies are unintended at conception; 50% occur in the 94% of sexually active couples who reported using some method of contraception (Henshaw, 1998). The only male-specific contraceptive methods currently available are withdrawal, condoms, and vasectomy. As concerns regarding side effects and inconvenience of these existing methods, which prevent their universal acceptance of the development of additional male methods of fertility control that can provide tremendous social and public health benefits
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