Folklore remedy to prevent pregnancy

Press, 19 February 1987, Page 21

Folklore remedy to prevent pregnancy

' An ancient Chinese herbal medicine promises to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, according to a team of British scientists, reports George Cunningham of the London Press Service.

The contraceptive agent is a compound named yuehchukene, which is obtained from the roots of the Murraya paniculata shrub, one of the citrus family. Its

structure has been determined for the first time by researchers at Strathclyde University, Glasgow.

Dr Peter Waterman of the university’s pharmaceutical chemistry unit, says: “It holds promise for a new type of drug molecule which might eventually be incorporated into a contraceptive pill for use several days after intercourse.

‘When Chinese researchers fed the compound to laboratory rats two days after mating, the contraceptive proved 100 per cent effective. It did not appear to have any side effects.” Dr Waterman says that while conventional oral contraceptives work by tricking the body into behaving as though it is already pregnant and stop it releasing more eggs, yuehchukene pre-

vents an egg attaching itself to the lining of the woman’s womb and developing. Yuehchukene was traditionally used in ancient Oriental medicine. “A lot of folklore medicine has a basis of truth,” adds Dr Waterman.

He and the Strathclyde researchers have been involved in the analysis of the herbal medicine drug.