Antifertility Effects of the Aqueous Extract of Carica Papaya (Linn.) Seeds on Estrous Cycle and Ovulation of Adult Cyclic Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

We investigated the effects of short term administration of the aqueous extract of Carica Papaya (Linn.) seeds on ovulation and the estrous cycle of adult cyclic Sprague-Dawley rats. Three oral doses of the extract (50mg/kg; 100mg/kg and 800mg/kg body weight) were administered once a day in two independent experiments designated GI and GII. Vaginal smears of the animals were observed daily to determine the phase of their estrous cycle. The rats in GI received the oral doses for 3 consecutive cycles while the rats in GII were administered with the different doses of the extract 9a.m. on proestrus and sacrificed the next day. Results showed that, oral administration of the aqueous extract of Carica Papaya (Linn.) seeds at all the dose regimens tested disrupted the normal sequence of the estrous cycle of the rats but produced no effect on ovulation and the number of ova shed.

Keywords: Estrous cycle, ovulation, Carica Papaya seeds

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 7 (2) 2008: pp. 31-33