Abstract
Antifertility Activity of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Moringa oleifera Lam in Female Wistar Rats
Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi-110 017, India
Correspondence Address:
Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi-110 017, India, E-mail: varunsinghbiochem@yahoo.co.in
Moringa oleifera Lam. extract appeared to boost the pregnancy while some literature reported abortive activity causing a dilemma for the users. Present study was conducted to rule out the fertility enhancement effect of the extract. Ethanol extract was evaluated at dose levels of 100, 250, 500 mg/kg on fertility, implantation, decidualization and local cytokine signaling during decidualization in female Wistar rats with artificially induced decidualization. Moringa oleifera at dose levels of 250 and 500 mg/kg led to defective implantation with smaller and dull in color implants compared to the control group which could be due to defective decidualization. Further, artificial decidualization studies revealed that the dose-dependent reduction in weight gain, estradiol levels and progesterone levels, which led to reduced expression of various local cytokines, cyclooxygenase-2, leukemia inhibitory factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin 11 as became evident by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction studies. The present study revealed that Moringa oleifera ethanol extract at dose level 250 and 500 mg/kg produced antifertility activity by inhibiting the implantation in female rats, which required further evaluation for potential contraceptive action.