SCREENING OF POTENTIAL MALE CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS FROM NATURAL RESOURCES: AN OVERVIEW

Rapid rising population has caused serious problems in the economic growth and all around human development especially in developing countries like India. Our future well-being depends on increased access to family planning and reproductive health services and decreased consumption by people.  Family planning has been promoted through several methods of contraception. But due to series adverse effects produced by synthetic steroidal contraceptives, attention has now been given to indigenous plants for possible contraceptive effects. Thus there is a need of replace these agents by plants. The investigation of plant constituents with development of an effective, reversible and safe male contraceptive represents a potential alternative approach to birth control from the existing available methods. This review concentrates on those recent advances in science and technology that offer possible inroads for shifting the paradigm for male-based contraception. This review presents updated information gathered on scientifically proved medicinal plant (Withania Somnifera) and their  more than 50 secondary metabolites  might be can use  as male contraceptive agents and other biological activity. The aim of this review is to highlight the work on various plant drugs and their bioactive extracts involved in male anti-fertility mechanism.