Antifertility efficacy of the plant Striga lutea (Scrophulariacae) on rats.

Acacetin and luteolin, the flavones isolated from the whole plant S. lutea, have been investigated for endocrine and contraceptive properties in the pre-implantation stage of pregnancy. Graded doses of these compounds, in gum acacia suspension, by oral administration from day 1 to day 4 of pregnancy showed dose-dependent anti-implantation activity (5-25 mg/kg body weight/day). MED100 was found to be 25 mg/kg body weight in the day 1-4 regimen in rats for both the compounds. In another study, a single oral dose of these compounds (10 mg/kg body weight) on day 1, 2 or 3 of pregnancy prevented 100% implantation. The compounds exhibited estrogenic property at their contraceptive dose level but failed to show antiestrogenic activity.