EFFECT OF ISOLATED ALLICIN FROM ALLIUM SATIVUM LINN BULB FOR EFFECTIVE ANTI FERTILITY ACTIVITY IN FEMALE WISTAR RATS

The present study was undertaken to evaluate antifertility activity of isolated allicin from garlic cloves and the raw juice of garlic (Allium sativum) (AS) on experimental female rats.Control of fertilization in female rats was investigated with estrogenic activity, evaluated using ethinyl estradiol as standard in immature female rats.Anti-implantation and early abortifacient activity was also investigated in female Wistar rats with the number of implantations and implantation resorptions estimations.Acute toxicity studies were carried out for the extracts and the test drug doses for screening were selected depending upon LD50 values.Fresh AS juice as well as isolated allicin (dose of 2.5 ml & 5.0 ml/kg b.w, and 10 mg/kg b.w respectively) was administered by oral route after confirmation of acute toxicity.In estrogenic activity evaluation, the juice of AS and isolated allicin (10 mg/kg p.o) showed significant estrogen-like activity at 5.0 ml/kg p.o. respectively by increasing the uterine weight compared to vehicle control group.Further the same treatment significantly decreased the number of implants and increased the number of resorptions compared to vehicle control group which were more significant for isolated compound rather extracts.Finally, the results revealed that the allicin isolated from AS ameliorates the scientific evidence of the antifertility activity as traditionally claimed.