Effect of Contraceptive Pills, Fungal Alkaloids and Wild Carrot Seeds Oil on Apoptosis in Albino Female Mice Lymphocytes

Abstract

This study compared three types of contraceptives agents by measuring the percentage of programmed
cell death (apoptosis). Anti-fertility agents included contraceptive pills (Yasmin), fungal alkaloids
(Cafergot) and the oil extract of the wild carrot seeds Daucus carota. Comparison process depended on
the evaluation of apoptosis percentage in mice lymphocytes, that treated orally for five successive days
with the contraceptive agents by using the concentration of (60 µg/kg) of Yasmin pills, (20 µg/kg) of
Cafergot and (0.1 ml) of wild carrot seeds oil. These were compared with the negative and positive control
methotrexate (MTX) (50µg/kg). Results showed that the percentage of apoptosis by using wild carrot
seeds oil was 0% which was the least in comparison to contraceptives and equal to the negative control
0%. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the percentage of apoptotic cells with
Cafergot treatment 0.1% in comparison with the negative control, while Yasmin pills treatment led to a
significant increases (P≤0.05) in apoptosis percentage to 0.6% in comparing to negative control. This
response also significantly increased (P≤0.05) in MTX treatment reaching 1.8%. As conclusion the results
of this work showed that, the oral contraceptive pills (Yasmin) was the most inducing contraceptive drugs
to apoptosis, while Cafergot and wild carrot seeds oil were the least effective in comparison to the
negative and positive control.