Endocrine Abstracts

Piper betuloids is a creeper grown wildly in the tropical forests of the north east part of India. The ethnic people of this region, especially in Arunachal Pradesh use the secondary roots of this creeper for fertility control in women. The traditional preparation has been reported to be use orally during post coital period.

Objectives: The anti-reproductive property of the secondary aerial roots has been tested on female albino rats during early gestation period. Potentiality of the roots’ pregnancy termination property has been studied by counting litter size at the end of pregnancy, protein profile of the receptive uterus (day 3–4 of gestation) and during periimplantation period. Ovarian and uterine histoarchitecture along with expression of TGF-β in uterus was studied during the experiment.

Methods: Methanolic crude extract of the roots was administered through oral route in a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight/day from day 1 to 6 of gestation. Subsequently females were killed by cervical dislocation on the respective day from day 3 to 6 of treatment. Uterine proteins were studied by SDS-PAGE, while growth factor (TGF-β I and II) were localized in paraffin sections using anti-TGF-β antibodies.

Results: A drastic change in the protein profile of receptive uterus (day 3–4 of gestation) as well as during periimplantation period showed the potentiality of the root extract for blocking implantation process. Altered expression of growth factor in uterus and reduced number of litter size on completion of full term gestation suggest the pregnancy disruption by the root extract.

Conclusions: The secondary roots of Piper betuloids contain potential phytocompound(s) for pregnancy disruption in rats. Changed milieu of receptive uterus during day 3–4 of gestation induced by root extract treated postcoitally is a significant control mechanism of pregnancy by natural product.