In vitro effect of ananas comosus extract on human sperm

Abstract

Spermicides has been used for birth control, but its chemical components are harmful for the vaginal epithelium, thus other studies have been done, given the possibility to use different extracts from plants as spermicidal agents that avoid vaginal tissue damages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Ananas comosus extract as spermicidal. Semen samples were incubated with pineapple extract, and motility and viability was evaluated after contact. In addition the cytotoxic effect was evaluated using MTS assay on HeLa cells. Motility (p<0.001) and viability (p<0.001) decreased after treatment with 50% dilution. However, extract had a cytotoxic effect on epithelial cell line. In conclusion, despite the cytotoxic effect in the same concentrations that spermicidal activity was observed, further studies determining the fractions of the extract have spermicidal properties are necessary.