MJSTEM

Abstract

The increasing search for effective, affordable, and reversible male contraceptive agents has stimulated interest in medicinal plants with potential antifertility properties. This study evaluated the effects of methanol seed extracts of Carica papaya and Ricinus communis on reproductive hormone profiles in male Wistar rats. Thirty-five adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to seven groups of five animals each. Group 1 served as the control, while Groups 2 and 3 received C. papaya extract at 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, respectively. Groups 4 and 5 received R. communis extract at the same doses, whereas Groups 6 and 7 received combined extracts at 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg. Administration was carried out orally for 21 days, after which serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone levels were determined using ELISA kits. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences among groups for LH (p = 0.014), FSH (p = 0.046), and testosterone (p = 0.022). Testosterone levels were significantly reduced in treated groups compared with the control, while LH and FSH were elevated, indicating disruption of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. The combined extract groups showed more pronounced hormonal alterations, particularly at higher doses. These findings demonstrate that methanol seed extracts of C. papaya and R. communis alter male reproductive hormone profiles and suggest potential antifertility activity mediated through endocrine modulation. However, functional fertility outcomes were not assessed in this study, limiting direct inference on fertility suppression.

Keywords