Studies on Aristolochia III. Isolation and Biological Evaluation of Constituents of Aristolochia indica Roots for Fertility-Regulating Activity

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Abstract
An ethanol extract of A. indica roots decreased fertility in both rats and hamsters when administered postcoitally (days 1-10 and 1-6, respectively). Petroleum ether (A), CHCl3 (B), and aqueous (C) fractions, tested similarly in rats, were inactive and/or toxic. Partition of fraction B afforded non-acidic (D) and acidic (E) fractions. Savinin (1), isolated from fraction D and not previously reported from the Aristolochiaceae, was inactive when administered postcoitally to rats. Aristolochic acid-I(2), reported previously from A. indica and isolated from fraction E, was inactive when administered postcoitally to rats and toxic when administered postcoitally to hamsters. (12S)-7,12-Secoishwaran-12-ol (3), previously reported from A. indica and isolated from fraction A, did not interrupt pregnancy when administered to mice on day 6 of pregnancy. Four additional compounds, aristolic acid (4) [prepared from aristolochic acid-I (2)], methyl aristolate (5) [prepared by methylating aristrolic acid (4)], and cis- and trans-p-coumaric acid (both obtained commercially), were similarly tested in mice and found to be inactive. Aristolic acid (4), and the cis- and trans-p-coumaric acids also were inactive when administered postcoitally (days 1-10) to rats. Seven compounds reported previously from A. indica were also isolated, as were a new naphtoquinone, aristolindiquinone (6)(fraction E), and magnoflorine (fraction C).