Evaluation of Anti-fertility Activity of Ruta montana L. Areal Part Extractin Albino Rats

Ruta montana L. a herb from the family Rutaceae, is known in Algeria as “mountain rue” or “Fidjel”
and has been used in folk medicine as an antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antirhematic, antihelmintic,
antiepileptic and antipyretic. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of the aqueous
extract of Ruta montana L. on the fertility in adult male and female rats. Forty healthy adult rats of
both sexes were divided into 4 Groups of 10 rats each. During the treatment period, 100, 300 and 600
mg/kg/day of the extract were orally administered to Groups I, II and III respectively, while the control
group received distilled water and served as control. The daily administration was carried out for a
period of 90 days. The results did not show any significant change in ovaries weight. However, a
significant decrease in testis, epididymis, and seminal vesicles weights was detected, as well as a
reduction in the number and the motility of spermatozoids in rats treated with the doses of 300 and
600 mg/kg. A dose of 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg of aqueous extract of Ruta Montana L. was able to
cause a decrease in sexual organs weight of male rats and in the number and the motility of
spermatozoids.