Contraceptive potency of Pueraria tuberosa D.C. and its hormonal status

A medicinal plant, Pueraria tuberosa D.C. has been thoroughly investigated for its contraceptive potency in various animals viz. rats, mice and hamsters. The activity has been further confirmed with respect to its habitat and seasonal variations. The potent fractions have been studied for their biological properties so as to elucidate its exact hormonal status. The observations suggest that tubers of P. tuberosa D.C. possess significant antifertility activity. The contraceptive efficacy does not alter significantly with respect to the change in time and place of collection. Its crude powder, ethanolic aand butanolic extracts evoke a significant antifertility activity in rats, mice and hamsters whereas hexane, chloroform, methanol, petroleum ether and benzene extracts are significantly effective to prevent implantation only in rats and mice. Aqueous extract does not show any significant antifertility activity in all these three animal species. The studies on its biological properties suggest that all the fractions of P. tuberosa D.C. possess significant estrogenic activity. In addition to this activity, the crude powder also shows significant progestational and mild antiprogestational activity whereas ethanolic and butanolic extracts show significant progestational activity. Petroleum ether and benzene extracts show only the estrogenic activity. The biological properties and their differences in activity have been discussed in relation to antifertility mode of action of P. tuberosa.