Abstract

A PRAGMATIC ANTIFERTILITY ASSESSMENT OF METHANOLIC BARK EXTRACT OF PLUMERIA RUBRA (L.) IN MALE ALBINO RATS

Deepika Sharma and R. S. Gupta*

Abstract

Fertility control is an issue of global and national health concern, many study have been done for the male contraception. The use of medicinal plants in different sorts of disease including fertility problem is widespread throughout the world. Though considerable progress has been made the development of highly effective, acceptable and reversible methods of contraception among females, progress possibilities on males are still sluggish and limited. With recent advancement towards a better understanding of male reproductive physiology there is a need to develop new contraceptive modalities for male. Plumeria rubra, a plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae and it is commonly known as Lal Champa in India and is one of the widely used folk medicinal plants. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antifertility activity of Plumeria rubra bark methanolic extract orally administered in adult male albino rats. The plant extract were obtained from P. rubra as an effective ideal male contraceptive agent. There was reduction in the weight of testes and accessory sex organs may be due to the hormonal imbalances. The results of the present study indicate that the methanolic bark extract of Plumeria rubra (L.) have significant antifertility activity and it suppresses the process of spermatogenesis which can lead to infertility in male albino rats. As a whole it can be postulated from study that the extract appears to be promising male contraceptive agent in order to develop the potential of herbal medicine.

Keywords: Antifertility, Epididymis, Leydig cells, Sertoli cells.