Abstract

A REVIEW ON MEDICINAL PLANTS EXHIBITING ANTIFERTILITY ACTIVITY

Mohammad Azamthulla*, Rajkapoor Balasubramanian and Kavimani S

ABSTRACT

Although contraceptives containing estrogen and progesterone are effective and popular used for family planning, but due to serious adverse effects produced by synthetic steroidal contraceptives such as toxicity to gonads, Infertility on temporary or permanent basis, testicular germ cell cancer, breast/ Prostate cancer, brain developmental problems, endometriosis and early puberty etc, the risks associated to the drugs have triggered the need to develop newer molecules from medicinal plants. Hence, there is a need for searching suitable product from medicinal plants that could be effectively used in the place of pills for antifertility activity. The nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and an impressive number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources. Plants are used as anti-implantation, abortifacient and as contraceptive are well known to the ancient physicians of India. Various medicinal plant extracts have been tested for their antifertility activity both in male and female animal models activity and the active agents. This review presents updated information gathered on medicinal plants used for anti-fertility activity in both male and females. The aim of this review is to highlight the work on anti-fertility of plant origin. For women who can't use modern forms of contraception due to adverse effect or other reasons, therefore herbs can offer alternatives and reducing fertility would be better than other contraceptives. This article may help investigators to identify medicinal plants responsible for anti-fertility activity.

Keywords: Herbal Contraceptives, Population Explotion, Birth Control, antifertility, Medicinal plants.