Fertility inducing effect of aerial parts of Coccinia cordifolia L. in female rats

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The aerial parts of Coccinia cordifolia L. are used to treat female infertility in West Bengal state of India.

Aim of the study: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the fertility inducing effect of aerial parts of Coccinia cordifolia L. in female rats.

Materials and methods: The effect of aqueous extract of Coccinia cordifolia L. on hyperprolactinemia induced infertility, endometriosis induced infertility and androgen-induced infertility was studied. The effect on serum estrogen level, serum progesterone level and reproductive tract was also evaluated in normal healthy female rats. The extract was administered orally at two different doses of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg.

Results: In hyperprolactinemia induced infertility model, the numbers of uterine implants were almost 10 times more in the extract treated groups as compared to control. The high dose of extract also produced a significant increase in serum estrogen levels (p<0.01) and number of corpus luteum (p<0.05) in healthy female rats. The extract at both doses was effective in reducing the weight of endometrial implants by 70-80%, but failed to induce fertility in rats with endometriosis. The extract was ineffective in inducing fertility in androgen-induced infertility model.

Conclusions: The aqueous extract of Coccinia cordifolia L. induces fertility in hyperprolactinemia induced infertility model in female rats.