contraceptive efficacy of hydro-methanolic fruit extract of xylopia aethiopica in male albino rats

the rising human population, particularly in the developing countries, and the attendant socioeconomic effects necessitates the need for its effective regulation. this study aims at exploring the contraceptive efficacy of the fruit extract of xylopia aethiopica (dunal) a rich, a plant with wide ethnomedicinal, pharmacological and social values, in combating this public health challenge. forty eight adult male and 48 female wistar rats were used for the study. the males, randomly selected into two groups: 30 days treatment and 30 days reversal groups; each further divided into 3 test and 1 control group of 6 animals each. daily oral doses of 0.5, 2.0 and 10.0mg/kg body weight respectively were given to the test groups for 30 days followed by 30 days of extract withdrawal. 6 animals were sacrificed from each treatment group animals on day 31 and on day 61 for the reversal group animals. body weight of the animals were measured at beginning of study and before each sacrifice. fertility test was done after 30 days of extract treatment and after 30 days withdrawal while testicular and epididymal weight, testosterone as well as sperm parameters were assessed on the day of each sacrifice. results show a reversible dose dependent negative effect in body and organ weight, sperm parameters and in fertility parameters. therefore, xylopia aethiopica has antifertility potentials which could be explored for contraceptive purposes