Piper Betle Leaves Reversibly Inhibits Fertility of Male Rats

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of a water extract of mature leaves of Pital of betle on libido and fertility of male rats. The dose and treatment regimen used has been previously shown to inhibit male sexual behaviour of rats (I mL of crude extract, three times on a single day .given orally). The libido and fertility were assessed on day of treatment and days 3, 7, 14. 28, or 35 post-treatment by pairing each treated male overnight with a prooestins female rat. The results showed that the extract was devoid of overt signs of toxicity but inhibited libido on the day of treatment and impaired fertility (in terms of quantal pregnancy, number of uterine implants and implantation index) on the day of treatment and on days 3, 7 and 28 post- treatment. The antifertility effec was accompanied with moderate to sever oligozoospermia and a profound enhancement in pre-implantation losses. It is likely that oligozoospermia resulted from ejaculatory disfunction and pre-implantation loss via disruption offertilizing potential of sperm. On the other hand, the anti-libido effect may have resulted from enhance clearance of androgens and/or altered binding to androgen binding protein.