EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF THE METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF HOPBUSH, DODONAEA VISCOSA (L.) JACQ, AS AN ANTI-FERTILITY AGENT: A PRELUDE TO ITS USE IN THE CONTROL OF THE HOUSE MOUSE, MUS MUSCULUS LINNAEUS, 1758, IN EGYPT

Abstract

The present work deals with evaluating the anti-fertility effects of the methanolic extract of hopbush, D. viscosa as a prelude to using it in the control of commensal house mice. In exploratory tests, the plant extract was given orally to male albino mice at concentrations of 200 and 400 mg/kg for 21 days. In case of females, the extract was given orally at a concentration 400 mg/kg for 17 days. The results indicated that this extract had significantly decreased the sperm count, and caused severe histopathological changes in the testes of treated males. On the other hand, it did not have any contragestive effects on treated females. The extract was then presented to male commensal mice in the form of a bait formulation, which proved to be acceptable by these males. They consumed a daily amount of 500 mg/kg for 21 days. This amount of the plant extract had caused a reduction in sperm number, degeneration in most seminferous tubules with the appearance of numerous cytoplasmic vacuoles, and nuclear pyknosis in most spermatogenic cells. It is recommended that D. viscosa extract be used in the control of the house mouse in the frame of integrated pest management programs.