ETHIOPIAN TRADITIONAL HERBAL DRUGS .3. ANTI-FERTILITY ACTIVITY OF 70 MEDICINAL-PLANTS

A total of 210 extracts/fractions from 70 traditionally used Ethiopian plants were subjected to uterotonic acid antiimplantation bioassays. A total of 24% of the samples had uterotonic activity and 33% exhibite d anti-implantation activity, while 13% had both uterotonic and anti-i mplantation activity. The percentage cumulative activity for aqueous, 95% ethanolic and n-butanolic extracts/fractions was 10%, 31% and 25%, respectively. The number of plants whose aqueous extracts, 95% ethano lic extracts and n-butanolic fractions had both uterotonic and anti-im plantation activity were 2, 15 and 11, respectively. These findings te nd to support traditional claims of antifertility activity for some of the herbs.