Antispermatogenic effect of Achillea millefolium L. in mice

The effect of an ethanolic extract (200 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally, for 2 0 days) and a hydroalcoholic extract (300 mg/kg/day, orally, for 30 days) o f Achillea millefolium L. (yarrow) flowers on the spermatogenesis of Swiss mice was studied by evaluating morphologic characteristics with the light a nd electron microscopes. The alterations observed were exfoliation of immat ure germ cells, germ cell necrosis, acid seminiferous tubule vacuolization. Animals treated with the extracts had an increased number of metaphases in the germ epithelium that might be due to cytotoxic substances or substance s stimulating cell Proliferation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.