IN VIVO AND IN VITRO ANTI-FERTILITY AND ANTI- IMPLANTATION PROPERTIES OF LEONOTIS OCYMIFOLIA IN RATS

The anti-fertility effect of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the leaves and roots of Leonotis ocymifolia were studied both in vivo and in vitro. The anti-implantation and anti-fertility activities of the ethanol leaves extract were 37 % and 20%, respectively. The body weight recorded for 19 days starting from day 1 of pregnancy showed that all rats of the control groups showed considerable weight gains over the period of 19 days. The weight gained by the rats treated with aqueous root extract was significantly less as compared to the controls. On the contrary, those treated with both aqueous and ethanol leaf extract did not show a significant difference in their weight gains over the same period. Aqueous root and leaf extracts reduced the number of implants significantly. No significant difference was, however, observed between mplants counted in rats treated with ethanol leaf extract and the ts were observed to increase acetylcholine induced uterine co centage contractions showed by these extracts in the presence o ficantly different from that of acetylcholine alone (P < 0.05). The est tha