Abstract:
This research was undertaken to observe the antifertility potential of
neem oil in males and females , 96 albino rats were used in this study.
The animals were administered with two different doses of neem oil orally
once at the beginning of study.
The animals were divided in different groups (A) treated female with
treated males, (B) untreated females with treated males, (C)treated
females with untreated males and(D) untreated females with untreated
males (Control).They left in the same cage for a period of six weeks.
The blood was drawn by cardiac puncture, for the estimation of serum
concentration of reproductive hormones in male and females including
FSH, LH, Estradiol, Progesterone and testosterone.
Animals were
scarificed and the female and male gonads were removed for the
histological study and analytical purpose to determine the quantity of
the active components in tissues.
Hormonal analysis revealed significantly increased levels of FSH in low
and high dose treated females and significantly decreased levels of
estradiol and progesterone in animals treated at high dose.
In the males significantly decreased hormone levels were only found
amongst high dose treated animals. HPLC
has demonstrated the
presence of high concentration of neem compounds Azadirachtin &
Azadirichtinin in the ovaries. In males these compounds have been
shown in high concentration as compared to control males but with
much in less concentration as compared to treated females.
The histological sections of the gonads have also revealed significant
decrease in the number of mature follicles in females and seminiferous
tubular diameter in males in the treated animals. None of the females
treated at high dose conceived during the present study. From these
findings it can be concluded that neem oil has a dose depended
antifertility potential.
