Abstract

Objective: To study the antifertility activity of Tabernaemontana divaricata leaf extract on female albino mice. Methods: Animals were divided into three groups consisting of five animals in each group. One group served as control and received vehicle orally for 21 days. The other two groups received dried ethanolic extract of leaves orally at a dose of 250 and 450 mg/kg animal body weight per day. After 21 days of treatment, extract was withdrawn from the mice and estrous cycle was studied for another 21 days. Results: The results of this study revealed that treatment of mice with extract of 250 and 450 mg/kg body weight for 21 days caused a prolonged eastrous cycle with significant increase in the duration of diestrus phase and elongation of estrus stage in treatment with higher dose (450 mg/kg body weight) and simultaneously decrease in the luteinizing hormone (LH) in both the treated groups and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in higher dose of treatment compared to the control animals may indicate the disturbance of estrous cycle and ovulation through suppression of FSH. Conclusions: It concludes that disturbance on the estradiol secretion with significant decrease during estrous stage of the cycle observed with the extract treatment may be due to impairment of LH and FSH.

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