Abstract

Paederia foetida roots are used for fertility regulation among the Mising tribes of Assam, India. This study aims at in vivo evaluation of antifertility activity of methanolic root extract (MRE) of P. foetida in female Swiss albino mice. For the antifertility assessment, anti-implantation, estrogenicity, abortifacient and reproductive outcomes were studied in female Swiss albino. The mice were fed with MRE of P. foetida at doses of 500 and 250 mg/kg body weight (bw). MRE of P. foetida 500 mg/kg bw resulted in a significant (p < .05) increase in anti-implantation activity (76.91%) as compared to the control group. A significant increase (p < .05) in uterine weight and thickness in endometrial lining was found, suggesting estrogenic activity of P. foetida. MRE of P. foetida showed a dose-dependent abortifacient effect at 250 and 500 mg/kg bw, with 58.90% and 68.10% abortifacient activity, respectively. The mean number of litters delivered at MRE 250 and MRE 500 was (2.33 ± 0.47) and (1.33 ± 0.33), respectively, as compared to the control (8.17 ± 0.47). This study validated the antifertility activity of P. foetida, thereby showing its potential as a contraceptive agent.

Key words: Antifertility, abortifacient, anti-implantation, contraceptive, estrogenic