MALE ANTIFERTILITY COMPOUNDS FROM TRIPTERYGIUM-WILFORDII HOOK,F.

Extracts of the Chinese medicinal plant, Tripterygium wilfordii, cause reversible infertility in male animals. Sub-fractionation studies hav e now revealed that the plant extracts contain a number of compounds w hich are potent antifertility agents in male mammals, including the di terpenes triptolide and tripdiolide and an isomer of the latter. A tri ptolide, 12,13- chlorohydrin, which is a transformation product formed reversibly by interaction of triptolide with HCl, was also found to b e active.