title: Oral administration of leaf extracts of Momordica charantia affect reproductive hormones of adult female Wistar rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of graded doses of aqueous leaf extracts of Momordica charantia on fertility hormones of female albino rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  TWENTY ADULT, HEALTHY, FEMALE WISTAR RATS WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS: low dose (LD), moderate dose (MD) and high dose (HD) groups which received 12.5 g, 25.0 g, 50.0 g of the leaf extract respectively and control group that was given with water ad libatum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Estrogen levels reduced by 6.40 nmol/L, 10.80 nmol/L and 28.00 nmol/L in the LD, MD and HD groups respectively while plasma progesterone of rats in the LD, MD and HD groups reduced by 24.20 nmol/L, 40.8 nmol/L and 59.20 nmol/L respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study has shown that the antifertility effect of Momordica charantia is achieved in a dose dependent manner. Hence, cautious use of such medication should be advocated especially when managing couples for infertility.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pharmacology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Osonuga Odusoga
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Adewale
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physiology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Osonuga Ifabunmi
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Oduyemi
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
authors.forename: Osonuga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ayokunle
keywords: Estrogen; Fertility; Momordica charantia; Progesterone