Hormonal Profile of Coronaridine Hydrochloride – an Antifertility Agent of Plant Origin¹

Abstract

The hormonal properties of coronaridine hydrochloride were investigated. A single oral administration of the compound (30 mg/kg) prevented pregnancy in rats when given on days 1, 2, 3 or 4 post-coitum; the effect on'days 5 , 6 , 7 or 8 of pregnancy was, however, partial. The substance showed estrogenic activity but was devoid of antiestrogenic, androgenic, antiandrogenic, progestational, antiprogestational and uterine stimulant activities; however, there was a partial inhibition of oxytocin-induced uterine response. Coronaridine appears to exert its antifertility action due to its frank estrogenicity. naemontane heyneania is reported to prevent pregnancy when administered orally on days 1-5 post-coitum in rats C11.

Isolation of 10-Hydroxycoronaridine from Tabernaemontana penduliflora and its Estrogen-Like Activity

“…Coronaridine (3) is reported to prevent fertilization in adult female rats when administered orally, while voacangine (2) did not prevent pregnancies (14). The alkaloid 3 was shown to be weakly estrogenic in eliciting uterine growth and, therefore, the contraceptive action of 3 was ostensibly related to its inherent estrogenicity (14), (15). These observation agree with the relative activity of estrogenesity assessed by receptor binding assay in which the order of 2 < 3 < 1 was observed.…”

Effect of Carum carvi and Curcuma longa on hormonal and reproductive parameter of female rats.

“…As indicated by the results of preliminary phytochemical screening of extracts, aqueous and ethanolic extracts of both the plants showed positive results for glycosides while test for alkaloids were found to be positive in ethanolic extracts, and it is known from previous studies of different authors [14,15] that alkaloids and glycosides have contraceptive properties. Alkaloids and glycosides mainly flavonoids (16], from plant origin were tested for antifertility efficacy and found to be effective for including estrogenic response and thus having contraceptive activity.…”

Uses and abuses of in vitro tests in ethnopharmacology: Visualizing an elephant

“…None of the extracts showed any activity when compared to standard 17␤-oestradiol except the methanol and dichloromethane extracts of Tabernaemontana divarica root, which gave EC 50 values of 190.0 ± 1.0 and 180 ± 3.0 g/mL, respectively. This is not very surprising since this species has been shown to contain the indole alkaloid coronaridine, which has been shown to demonstrate in vivo oestrogenic activity (Mehrota and Kamboj, 1978).…”