PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS IN THE RABBIT ON THE ANTI-OVULATORY ACTIVITY PRESENT IN TAXUS BACCATA LINN. LEAVES
in Reproduction
Taxus baccata Linn., a tree which grows abundantly in India, has been reported to possess an antifertility effect (Kirtikar & Basu, 1935; Chopra, Nayar & Chopra, 1956; Chopra, Chopra, Handa & Kapoor, 1958; Chaudhury, 1966). Khanna, Garg, Vohora, Walia & Chaudhury (1969) recently reported that anti-implantation activity is present in the leaves. Possible anti-ovulatory activity of different extracts of leaves of Taxus baccata has been screened on fifty-eight, adult, non-pregnant rabbits, each weighing between 1·5 and 2·0 kg. The rabbits were obtained from a local source and housed in independent cages for at least 3 weeks before use.The air-dried, powdered leaves of Taxus baccata were successively extracted with petroleum ether (b.p. 60 to 80° C), alcohol (95 %) and distilled water and the extracts were administered as a suspension with
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