Abstract
A methanol extract of root bark of Dictamnus albus decreased fertility in rats when administered orally on days 1-10 post-coitum. Hexane,
chloroform, butanol, and aqueous fractions from the methanol extract were tested with
the result that only the hexane fraction exhibited positive activity. Fractionation
of the hexane extract resulted in isolation of fraxinellone as an active principle,
which was found not to have an estrogenicity. The timed-dosing experiment revealed
that the antifertility activity of fraxinellone appeared to be due to an inhibition
of implantation.
