Neetesh Kumar Jain^1,, Suman Jain¹, S C Mehta², S.D. Tonpay²

Disturbance of the natural steroid hormone balance can successfully disorganize the co-ordinate events involved in ovulation, ovum transport and implantation. Thus, compounds possessing estrogenic, progestation and anti-estrogenic, anti-progestational or anti-implantation activity may also exhibit anti-fertility activity. The present study was conducted to investigate the antiimplantation and antiestrogenic activity of Boerhaavia diffusa root extract in female rats. Female albino rats were taken and divided into three groups. Group I served as control, group II received methanolic extract at dose of 200 mg/kg body weight and group III received methanolic extract at dose of 400 mg/kg body weight. The root extract of Boerhaavia diffusa evaluated for anti-implantation activity, The methanolic extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight inhibited pregnancy with mean number of implants 5.58 ± 0.34 [P<0.001]. The same extract at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight significantly inhibited pregnancy with mean number of implants 4.47 ± 0.23 [P<0.001]. The oral administration of the Boerhaavia diffusa methanolic root extract (BDME) at dose of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight caused a significant increase in the uterine weight in immature rats when compared to control, [P<0.001]. These results indicate that the methanolic root extract of Boerhaavia diffusa contain bioactive compounds which may cause antiestrogenic activity. We can conclude that the methanolic extract of Boerhaavia diffusa root showed significant antifertility activity by means of potent antiestrogenic and anti-implantation, in a dose-dependent manner.

Boerhaavia diffusa, Antiimplantation, Antiestrogenic activity, Antifertility