title: Antifertility effect of aqueous extract of seeds of Cassia fistula in female rats.
abstract: Oral administration of aqueous extract of seeds of Cassia fistula to mated female rats from day 1-5 of pregnancy at the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight resulted in 57.14% and 71.43% prevention of pregnancy, respectively, whereas 100% pregnancy inhibition was noted at 500 mg/kg bw. In the uterine bioassay test carried out in immature bilaterally ovariectomized female rats, aqueous extract of seeds of Cassia fistula (100 mg/kg bw) increased the uterine wet weight (p<0.05) and luminal epithelial cell height (p<0.001) but did not induce premature opening of the vagina. This suggests a mild estrogenic activity of the extract. However, when the extract was administered conjointly with estradiol valerate (EDV, 0.1 mg/kg bw), it significantly (p<0.001) prevented the estrogen-induced uterotrophic effect, thus showing an antiestrogenic nature of the extract in the presence of a strong estrogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Jain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002366:Cassia / Q000737:chemistry*; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004958:Estradiol