EFFECT OF CARICA-PAPAYA SEED EXTRACT ON FEMALE RAT OVARIES AND UTERI

The effect of an aqueous extract of Carica papaya seed for 7 and 15 da ys on the physiology of rat ovaries and uterus was studied. The possib le reversibility of the induced effects was also investigated, The res ults revealed that the effects were more pronounced in the ovary than in the uterus. The changes in biochemical profile of the ovary and ute rus involved alterations in the levels of ascorbic acid, ascorbigen (A SG), ascorbic acid utilization (AUU), ascorbic acid macromolecular (AA -MM) complexing, ascorbic acid free radical (AA-FR) formation, total a scorbic acid and glutathione (GSH), cholesterol, protein and glycogen. The increase in ascorbate turnover is an adaptation to overcome the h armful effect of the extract. The fertility test was 100% negative and the oestrus cycle was irregular with a predominance of dioestrus. The uterine contractility was increased. The above mentioned changes indi cate that the extract manifested antifertility, antiimplantation and a bortifacient effects in the treated animals. The withdrawal of treatme nt overcame the adverse effects of the treatment in ovary and the uter us and restored fertility.