Three indigenous preparations, claimed to prevent conception in women, have been tested in fertile female rats for confirming their antifertility activity. , Avrodhak' composed of L a w s o n ia i n e r m i s showed encouraging antifertility activity at all three dose levels. ,Kalyani', composed of A b r u s p r e cat o r i u s and ,Laiial' composed of a mixture of P i p e r 1 o n g tl m , Arsenii Trisulphidium, Jawarai Mastaki and Borax, failed to show any antifertility activity at the different doses.Ancient Indian Literature abounds with information on large numbers of plants reputed to have sterilizing, contraceptive and abortifacient properties (KIRTIKAR and BASU 1935; CHOPRA et al. 1956CHOPRA et al. , 1958NADKARNI and NADKARNI 1954). Scholars of Ayurveda have also mentioned several plants in their ayurvedic treatises such as Charak Samhita, Sushurta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridiyam. A number of these preparations are still being used by ayurvedic physicians all over India, who claim their effectiveness but are unable or unwilling to produce data needed for scientific evaluation. Limited tests in laboratory animals have been carried out on some plant species but with inconclusive results. In the present study, three indigenous preparations have been screened for antifertility activity in female rats. Materials and MethodsThe trade names of the three preparations are Lajjal, Avrodhak and Kalyani. Each capsule of Lajjal contains 550 mg of a powdered mixture of piper Iongum (fruit), Arsenii Trisulphidium, Jawarai Mastaki (a Unani drug) and Borax. Each Avrodhak capsule contains 300 mg of powdered leaves of Luwsonia inermis while a capsule of Kalyani contains a single white seed of Abrus precatorius in Borax. These powdered preparations were administered orally, either as a suspension in water or gum acacia, or incorporated into the diet of the animals. Each preparation was tested at three dose levels. The lowest dose was calculated from the prescribed daily human dose on the body weight basis. Ten times and hundred times the low dose were also studied.

The effect of an antiserum to ovine lh was studied on implantation and deciduoma formation in mice. Administration of the lh antiserum on Day 4 of pregnancy and pseudopregnancy inhibited, respectively, the implantation and decidual cell reaction. The administration of progesterone at the same time as the antiserum overcame the inhibitory effects of the antibodies to lh. The results of these studies indicate that the anti-implantation activity of the lh antiserum is manifest by its inhibition of progesterone synthesis by the cl.

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ABSTRACT. Diurnal variations in serum testosterone levels were studied in six adult male Macaca radiata. Though the testosterone levels fluctuated considerably during the 24-hr period, a distinctive diurnal pattern characterized by lower concentrations during day hours and higher concentrations during night hours was observed.

ABSTRACT. Sixty-two menstrual cycles were observed in five bonnet monkeys over a period of 12 months. The menstrual cycles ranged in length from 22 to 35 days, although cycles of from 26 to 29 days were most frequent. Menstrual flow occurred for two to seven days, the flow lasting for three to four days in the majority (82 ~) of the cycles. Serum estradiol-I 7/3 (E2) and progesterone (P) were measured by radioimmunoassay in two consecutive cycles in each monkey and correlated with changes in the quantity of cervical mucus secretion and spinnbarkeit. The day of the estradiol peak was considered as day 0. The E~, levels began to rise one to three days before the peak, returning to baseline levels within two days and thereafter remained at low levels. The serum P rose 2 days after the E2 peak, and maximum level was attained at 10 to 12 days after the E2 peak. The quantity of cervical mucus increased proportionately with estrogen. However, the quantity remained at maximum levels even after the decline of the serum Ez level. Similar trends were observed with the spinnbarkeit.