2605004061
  • Open Access
  • Review

Antifertility Potential of Plumbago zeylanica Linn.: A Comprehensive Review

  • Venkataramanaiah Poli 1,   
  • Srinivasulu Reddy Motireddy 2,*

Received: 08 Jan 2026 | Revised: 19 May 2026 | Accepted: 27 May 2026 | Published: 23 Jun 2026

Abstract

Plumbago zeylanica Linn., which is part of the Plumbaginaceae family, is an important plant, for medicine. It has been used for a time to help with problems related to reproduction and metabolism. People have looked at parts of the P. zeylanica Linn plant, especially the roots and leaves to see what kind of effects they have on the body. They found that P. zeylanica Linn has benefits, including helping to fight off bad germs, reducing damage from free radicals, fighting cancer, protecting the liver, and even helping with birth control. This article looks at all the evidence that supports the idea that P. zeylanica Linn can help with birth control. We searched through scientific databases like Google Scholar, Scopus, and ScienceDirect to find relevant information. Out of all the articles we found, we chose 65 that were the most relevant and scientifically sound. We know that P. zeylanica Linn has natural chemicals that are good for us, including plumbagin, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. These chemicals can affect how our bodies reproduce. Some studies have shown that extracts from P. zeylanica Linn. leaves can disrupt the cycle, stop ovulation, and even prevent pregnancy in animals. The chemical plumbagin, which is found in the roots of P. zeylanica Linn., is very important for its birth control effects. Since many people have reactions to man-made birth control methods, P. zeylanica Linn. could be a good alternative. However, we need to do research to make sure it is safe and effective for people to use as a natural birth control method. This article highlights the need for studies on P. zeylanica Linn to see if it can really help people with birth control.

References 

  • 1.

    Mishra, U.S.; Murthy, P.N.; Pasa, G.; et al. Formulation development and evaluation of herbal tablet containing methanolic extract Butea Frondosa. Int. J. Institutional Pharm. Life Sci. 2011, 1, 1–15.

  • 2.

    Doshi, G.M.; Vanmali, B.V. Development and evaluation of herbal formulation from Polyalthia longifolia, Tabernaemontana alternifolia, Benincasa hispida plant extracts. Der Pharm. Lett. 2016, 5, 170–183.

  • 3.

    Chandira, M.; Jayakar, B.B. Formulation and evaluation of herbal tablets containing Ipomoea digitata Linn extract. Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res. 2010, 3, 101–110.

  • 4.

    Shashi, S. Medicinal plants-perspectives and needs. J. Pharmacogn. Nat. Prod. 2016, 2, 2.

  • 5.

    Mukherjee, P.K.; Rai, S.; Kumar, V.; et al. Plants of Indian origin in drug discovery. Expert Opin. Drug Discov. 2007, 2, 633–657.

  • 6.

    Cominsky, S. Traditional birth practices and pregnancy avoidance in the Americas. In The Potential of the Traditional Birth Attendant; Maglacas, M., Simon, J., Eds.; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 1986.

  • 7.

    Griffin, P.D. Plants for fertility regulation. In Research in Human Reproduction; Diczfalusy, E., Griffin, P.D., Khanna, J., Eds.; Biennial Report; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 1988; pp. 29–230.

  • 8.

    McNamara, J.O. Drugs effective in the treatment of the epilepsies. In Goodman and Gillman’s the Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed.; Hardman, J.G., Limbird, J.E., Molinoff, P.B., et al., Eds.; McGraw Hill: New York, NY, USA,1996; pp. 461–486.

  • 9.

    Iwu, M. Handbook of African Medicinal Plants; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2010; p. 228.

  • 10.

    WHO. Traditional medicine, Growing needs and Potential1. In WHO Policy Prospective on Medicines; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2002; pp. 1–6.

  • 11.

    Julsing, K.M.; Quax, J.W.; Kayser, O. The Engineering of Medicinal Plants, Prospects and Limitations of Medicinal Plant Biotechnology. In Medicinal Plant Biotechnology; Wiley Online Library: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2007.

  • 12.

    Ravikumar, V.R.; Sudha, T. Phytochemical and antimicrobial studies on P. zeylanica (L) (PLUMBAGINACEAE). Int. J. Res. Pharm. Chem. 2011, 1, 185–188.

  • 13.

    Chopra, R.N.; Nayar, S.L.; Chopra, I.C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants; Council of Scientific and Industrial Research: New Delhi, India, 1956.

  • 14.

    Nguyen, A.T.; Malonne, H.; Duez, P.; et al. Cytotoxic constituents from Plumbago zeylanica. Fitoterapia 2004, 75, 500–504.

  • 15.

    The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; The Controller of Publication: Delhi, India, 2001; Volume I.

  • 16.

    Tilak, J.C.; Adhikari, S.; Devasagayam, T.P. Antioxidant properties of Plumbago zeylanica, an Indian medicinal plant and its active ingredient, plumbagin. Redox Rep. 2004, 9, 219–227.

  • 17.

    Bopaiah, C.P.; Pradhan, N. Central nervous system stimulatory action from the root extract of P. zeylanicain rats. Phytother. Res. 2001, 15, 153–156.

  • 18.

    Ahmad, I.; Mehmood, Z.; Mohammad, F. Screening of some Indian medicinal plants for their antimicrobial properties. J. Ethnopharmacol. 1998, 62, 183–193.

  • 19.

    Simonsen, H.T.; Nordskjold, J.B.; Smitt, W.U.; et al. In vitro screening of Indian medicinal plants for antiplasmodial activity. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2001, 74, 195–204.

  • 20.

    Reddy, J.S.; Rao, P.R.; Reddy, M.S. Wound healing effects of Heliotropium indicum, Plumbago zeylanicum and Acalypha indica in rats. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2002, 79, 249–251.

  • 21.

    Sharma, I.; Gusain, D.; Dixit, V.P. Hypolipidaemic and antiatherosclerotic effects of plumbagin in rabbits. Indian J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 1991, 35, 10–14.

  • 22.

    Krishnaswamy, M.; Purushothaman, K.K. Plumbagin, a study of its anticancer, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 1980, 18, 876–877.

  • 23.

    Kavimani, S.; Ilango, R.; Madheswaran, M.; et al. Antitumor activity of plumbagin against Dalton’s ascitic lymphoma. Indian J. Pharm. Sci. 1996, 58, 194–196.

  • 24.

    Shen, Z.; Dong, Z.; Cheng, P.; et al. Effects of Plumbagin on platelet aggregation and platelet-neutrophil interactions. Planta Medica 2003, 69, 605–609.

  • 25.

    Devi, P.U.; Rao, B.S.; Solomon, F.E. Effect of plumbagin on the radiation induced cytogenetic and cell cycle change in mouse Eharlich ascites carcinoma in vivo. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 1998, 36, 891–895.

  • 26.

    Wang, Y.C.; Huang, T.L. High-performance liquid chromatography for quantification of plumbagin, an antihelicobacter pylori compound of P. zeylanica L. J. Chromatogr. A 2005, 1094, 99–104.

  • 27.

    Edwin, S.; Joshi, S.B.; Jain, D.C. Antifertility activity of leaves of P. zeylanica Linn. in female albino rats. Eur. J. Contracept. Reprod. Health Care. 2009, 14, 233–239.

  • 28.

    Sharma, A.; Singh, N. A multifarious potent herb, Plumbago zeylanica, a mini review. Int. J. Recent Sci. Res. 2015, 6, 4825–4829.

  • 29.

    Mandavkar, Y.D.; Jalalpure, S.S. A comprehensive review on Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 2011, 5, 2738−2747.

  • 30.

    Choudhary, S.; Kaurav, H.; Chaudhary, G. Citraka (Plumbago zeylanica): A Potential Rejuvenator. Int. J. Res. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. 2021, 8, 202–212.

  • 31.

    Jijhotiya, A.; Madhuri.; Goyal, S. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical estimation of leaves extracts of plant Plumbago zeylanica. Int. J. Recent Sci. Res. 2018, 9, 23249–23252.

  • 32.

    Ganesan, K.; Gani, S.B. Ethnomedical and pharmacological potentials of P. zeylanica L—A review. Am. J. Phytomed. Clin. Ther. 2013, 1, 313–337.

  • 33.

    Vishnukanta, S.; Rana, A.C. Plumbago zeylanica, a phytopharmacological review. Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Res. 2011, 2, 247–255.

  • 34.

    Arpita, R.; Navneeta, B. A review on pharmaceutically important medical plant, Plumbago zeylanica. J. Ayurvedic Herb. Med. 2017, 3, 225–228.

  • 35.

    Nadakarni, A.K.; Nadakarni, K.R. Indian-Materia Medica; Popular Prakashan: Bombay, India, 1999; p. 564.

  • 36.

    Kumar, R.; Kumar, S.; Patra, A.; et al. Hepatoprotective activity of aerial parts of P. zeylanica Linn against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Int. J. Pharm. Pharm. Sci. 2009, 1, 171–175.

  • 37.

    Williamson, E.M. Major Herbs of Ayurveda; Churchill Livingstone: London, UK, 2002; p. 239.

  • 38.

    Parohit, A.; Surendra, K.; Keshav, B. Contraceptive efficacy of P. zeylanicaroot extract (50% ETOH) in male albino rats with special emphasis on testicular cell population dynamics. Anc. Sci. Life 2008, 27, 31–35.

  • 39.

    Shukla, B.; Saxena, S.; Usmani, S.; et al. Phytochemistry and pharmacological studies of P. zeylanica L., a medicinal plant review. Clin. Phytoscience, 2021, 7, 34.

  • 40.

    Vishnukanta, S.; Rana, A.C. Evaluation of the antifertility activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of P. zeylanica L. (Plumbaginaceae) in female wistar rats. Indian J. Pharm. Educ. Res. 2010, 44, 49–55.

  • 41.

    Azad Choudhary, A.K.; Sushanta, K.C.; Azadkhan, A.K. Antifertility activity of P. zeylanica L. Root. Indian J. Med. Res. 1982, 76, 99–101.

  • 42.

    Tiwari, K.; Majumder, R.; Bhattacharjee, S. Folklore information from Assam for family planning and birth control. Int. J. Crude Drug Res. 1982, 20, 133–137.

  • 43.

    Kamboj, V.P.; Dhawan, P.M. Research on plants for fertility regulation in India. J. Ethnopharmacol. 1982, 6, 191–226.

  • 44.

    Devarshi, P.; Patil, S.; Kanas, A. Effect of P. zeylanicaroot powder induced preimplantationary loss and abortion on uterine luminal protein in Albino rats. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 1991, 29, 521–522.

  • 45.

    Dsouza, R.D.; Singh, U.V.; Aithal, KS.; et al. Antifertility activity of niosomal HPbetaCD, Plumbagin complex. Indian J. Pharm. Sci. 1998, 60, 36–40.

  • 46.

    Premkumari, P.; Rathinam, K.; Santhakumari, G. Antifertility activity of plumbagin. Indian J. Med. Res. 1977, 65, 829–838.

  • 47.

    Teshome, K.; Mariam, T.G.; Asres, K.; et al. Toxicity studies on dermal application of plant extract of Plumbagozeylanica used in Ethiopian traditional medicine. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2008, 117, 236–248.

  • 48.

    Dai, Y.; Hou, L.F.; Chan, Y.P.; et al. Inhibition of immediate allergic reactions by ethanol extract from P. zeylanicastems. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2004, 27, 429–432.

  • 49.

    Sivakumar, V.; Niranjali Devaraj, S. Protective effect of P. zeylanicaagainst cyclophosphamide-induced genotoxicity and oxidative stress in Swiss albino mice. Drug Chem. Toxicol. 2006, 29, 279–288.

  • 50.

    Kapadia, N.S.; Isarani, S.A.; Shah, M.B. A simple method for isolation of plumbagin from roots of Plumbago rosea. Pharm. Biol. 2005, 43, 551–553.

  • 51.

    Demma, J.; Engidawork, E.; Hellman, B. Potential genotoxicity of plant extracts used in Ethiopian traditional medicine. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2009, 122, 136–142.

Share this article:
How to Cite
Poli, V.; Motireddy, S. R. Antifertility Potential of Plumbago zeylanica Linn.: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Medicinal Natural Products 2026, 3 (2), 100013. https://doi.org/10.53941/jmnp.2026.100013.
RIS
BibTex
Copyright & License
article copyright Image
Copyright (c) 2026 by the authors.