Author(s)

Heping Fu^1,2, Darhan Bao^1,2, Man Duhu^1,2, Shuai Yuan^1,2, An Xing^1,2, Suwen Yang^1,2, Xiaodong Wu^1,2*

¹Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China.
²Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China.

Controlling fertility of rodent pests has become an effective means of controlling the population of grassland rodents in China. Recently, research has focused on how to select environmentally-friendly sterilants without pollution effects, and to realize sustainable control of pest rodent populations. Sterilants from plant extracts have been mainly selected. In this study, mice were used as the experimental subjects for research on the anti-fertility effects of plant extracts of shikonin and the anti-fertility mechanism of shikonin extract was determined. The mice were divided into four groups, including one control group and three experimental groups. There were three applications of shikonin extract in different concentrations (5 mg·kg^-1, 20 mg·kg^-1 and 50 mg·kg^-1). The mice gavage experiments indicated that a shikonin concentration of 50 mg·kg^-1 had the expected anti-fertility effects. Mice copulation experiments showed that the 50 mg·kg^-1 shikonin treatment had significant anti-fertility effects on both female-treatment and female-male-treatment groups. The results of the PCR analysis on the AgRP and ghrelin mRNA from female ovaries and male testicles indicated that shikonin could control mice reproduction by regulating the pituitary gonadal axis. Shikonin, as plant source sterile agent, would have more ideal effects for functioned both sexes sterility.

Anti-Fertility, Mechanism, Plant Extract, Shikonin, Mice

Fu, H. , Bao, D. , Duhu, M. , Yuan, S. , Xing, A. , Yang, S. and Wu, X. (2016) Anti-Fertility Effects and Mechanism of the Plant Extract Shikonin on Mice. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 4, 30-39. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2016.48005.