Oral administration of a water extract of Phytolacca dodecandra l'herit in mice - Effects on reproduction

Experiments were conducted to determine whether oral administration of a water extract of P. dodecandra had significant effects on reproduction in mice. The work is based on earlier reports in this journal that butanol extracts of the berries of this plant had spermatocidal properties in vitro and blastocidal activity when injected directly into the uterus of rabbits. The extract was supplied to groups of mice in the drinking water at predetermined concentrations (range 0-250 mg per liter) and treatment intervals (continuous and monthly). An analysis of variance was performed on the results of the following variables for all the groups: a) mean number of females giving birth in each treatment group, b) mean number of days taken to give birth, c) mean number of young born per group, and d) mean number of young surviving at four days post-parturition. The results indicated that there were no significant differences (p>0.05) between all the groups on all of the parameters evaluated. From the results obtained a tentative conclusion was reached that bodies of water treated with molluscicidal concentrations (approximately 50 - 100 mg/liter) of P. dodecandra water extract, probably do not pose a great danger to reproduction in mice within the limits of the experimental conditions described.