Authors: Sambhaji Borgude, Vinayak Kanchan, Pranav Ghumare, Sohel Shaikh, Tanmay Gangawane, Bhagyshree Gaikwad
Abstract: The rising worldwide need for safe, cost-effective, and reversible contraception has sparked new interest in using medicinal plants as alternative fertility-controlling solutions. Conventional medical systems have utilized various plants for contraception by impacting ovulation, spermatogenesis, fertilization, implantation, and uterine functions. Recent pharmacological studies have discovered various phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, coumarins, lignans, and phytoestrogens that influence reproductive endocrine pathways and gamete activity. This review thoroughly outlines existing evidence related to phytochemistry, action mechanisms, pharmacological effects, and safety profiles of herbal contraceptives. Key medicinal plants like Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya, Ruta graveolens, Juglans regia, Ricinus communis, Daucus carota, and other commonly utilized species are thoroughly examined with a focus on their antifertility properties, active compounds, and empirical support. Despite considerable in vitro and animal research supplementing contraceptive effectiveness via anti-ovulatory, spermicidal, anti-implantation, endocrine-modulating, and uterotonic processes, strong clinical evidence continues to be scarce. Moreover, issues related to toxicity, reproductive safety, teratogenic effects, dose consistency, and long-term reversibility still impede clinical translation. Future studies must focus on standardized phytochemical profiling, mechanistic molecular investigations, GLP-compliant toxicity assessments, and rigorously structured randomized clinical trials. Herbal contraceptives thus serve as encouraging options for creating new contraceptive methods; however, significant scientific confirmation is necessary before their regular clinical use.
