The fruit alcohol extract of the plant Capparis decidua (Frosk.) Edgew was investigated for its antiatherosclerotic activity. Hyperlipidemia was induced by atherodiet and cholesterol feeding to animals. Rabbits were fed Capparis decidua (500 mg=kg body weight) or pitavastatin (0.2 mg=kg body weight) in distilled water along with standard laboratory diet and atherodiet for 60 days. C. decidua fruit extract and pitavastatin were found to lower serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, and atherogenic index, but found to increase the HDL to total cholesterol ratio as compared with hyperlipidemic control group. Pitavastatin or C. decidua fruit extract treated hyperlipidemic rabbits showed a decrease in the lipid profile of liver, heart, and aorta. The plant extract feeding brings about a definite regression of atheroma and hindered plaque formation in aorta as compared with the hyperlipidemic control group. Thus, this study demonstrates that C. decidua fruit extract possesses hypolipidemic and antiatherosclerotic effects.

The current study was undertaken to observe the effect of oral administration of Neem seed oil and its various chromatographic fractions on sperm dynamics and testicular cell population dynamics of male albino rats. Significant reduction in sperm density in testis and cauda epididymis and sperm motility in cauda epididymis was observed in male rats treated with neem seed oil and its various chromatographic fractions for 60 days. The maximum reduction in sperm motility and sperm density was observed in rats treated with neem seed oil fraction III and fraction IV. Results of testicular cell population dynamics showed the arrest of spermatogenesis at spermatid stage after treatment with neem seed oil and its various chromatographic fractions suggesting the antiandrogenic nature of neem seed oil fractions. It is suggested that the antifertility effect of neem seed oil and its fraction in male albino rats was through inhibition of FSH and LH secretion and steroidogenesis via hypothalamo-hypophyseal gonadal axis. The neem seed oil fractions III and IV were shown to be the most potent contraceptive agents among all the fractions.

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