title: Sperm motility inhibiting activity of a phytosterol from Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC. leaf extract: a tribal medicine.
abstract: The role of methanolic extract and n-butanol fraction of A. macrophylla leaves was investigated on the forward motility of goat spermatozoa. The methanol extract (600 micro/g/ml) and one n-butanol fraction (Fraction A; 100 microg/ml) showed marked inhibition of sperm forward motility, tested by microscopic and spectrophotometric methods. Approximately, 50-60% of the spermatozoa lost their motility when treated with 600 microg/ml of methanol extract or 100 microg/ml of Fraction A. The Fraction A at 400 microg/ml concentration showed complete inhibition of sperm forward motility at 0 min. The inhibitory activity increased with the increasing concentrations of the fraction. The motility inhibitory activity of the Fraction A was stable to heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 2 min. The compound showed high inhibitory effect in the pH range 6.7-7.6. Fraction A also showed high efficacy for inhibiting human sperm motility, assessed by the microscopic method. The phytochemical analysis of methanolic extract of A. macrophylla leaves revealed the presence of sterols, triterpene, flavonoid, alkaloid, tannin and reducing sugar, while the Fraction A contains beta-sitosterol, a common phytosterol. The results demonstrate that Fraction A (beta-sitosterol) is a potent inhibitor of sperm motility and thus it has the potential to serve as a vaginal contraceptive.
authors.affiliation: ICMR Virus Unit, Infectious Diseases & Beliaghata General Hospital, General Block 4, 1st Floor, 57 Dr. Suresh Chandra Banerjee Road, Kolkata 700 010, India.
authors.forename: Debprasad
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
authors.forename: Sandhya R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Dungdung
authors.forename: Kaushik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Sudipta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Asit B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.forename: Gopal C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Majumder
mesh_terms: D031051:Alstonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000440:Butanols / Q000737:chemistry; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000737:chemistry; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000440:Butanols; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D010840:Phytosterols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012855:Sitosterols; C025473:gamma-sitosterol; D000432:Methanol