title: Reversible antispermatogenic and antisteroidogenic activities of Feronia limonia fruit pulp in adult male rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the antispermatogenic and testicular antisteroidogenic activities of Feronia limonia fruit pulp southern India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourty Wistar male albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) were equally divided into four groups. Experimental groups were administered with the ethanolic extract of Feronia limonia (F. limoni) fruit pulp at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight once daily for 55 days. All treated rats had corresponding recovery groups. At the end of each treatment periods, various spermatological indices, tissue biochemicals and testicular enzymes levels were analysed. Blood profiles were also estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control, the F. limonia fruit pulp at both dose levels did not decrease body weight, which were associated with decline in epididymal sperm count, motility, viability and increased percent of abnormal sperm. Further, F. limonia fruit pulp at 500 mg/kg body weight markedly reduced the epididymal and testicular protein content by 24.58% and 29.86%, respectively, as well as the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and Δ(5)-3β-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase) levels by 42.82% and 38.08%, respectively, while a significant elevation was observed in testicular cholesterol and ascorbic acid content. A gradual recovery of all parameters was observed after 55 days of treatment withdrawal. No significant alterations in haematological indices were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings indicate that F. limonia fruit pulp may have reversible antispermatogenic and antisteroidogenic properties, and could partially support the traditional use as male contraceptive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Kakatiya Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (KIPS), Pembarthi (V), Hasanparthy (M), Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India-506 371.
authors.forename: Ramaiyan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dhanapal
authors.forename: J Vijaya
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Ratna
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sarathchandran
authors.forename: Malaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000988:Antispermatogenic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D064028:Tracheophyta / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000988:Antispermatogenic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002784:Cholesterol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Antispermatogenic; Feronia limonia; Hematological indices; Rattus norvegicus; Testicular antisteroidogenic