Studies on the contraceptive efficacy of Praneem polyherbal cream

Praneem polyherbal cream, a spermicidal formulation, has been developed at the National Institute of Immunology, which makes use of Praneem, a purified extract from the dried seeds of an ancient Indian plant Azadirachta indica (Neem), extract from the pericarp of fruits of Sapindus species and quinine hydrochloride. These ingredients have a synergistic spermicidal activity and an optimised formula was derived. The components were made into a water-soluble cream base prepared by using pharmaceutically acceptable base and stabilised by addition of IP grade antioxidant and preservatives. The cream is devoid of irritation and sensitization potential, as seen with standard Draize test on normal and abraded skin of rabbits and by 21-day cumulative skin sensitivity in human volunteers. The formulation was found to be safe under subacute toxicity studies in monkeys. The formulation has shown high contraceptive efficacy in rabbits and in monkeys after intravaginal application. The shelf-life of the cream at room temperature is estimated to be 18 months by accelerated stability studies.