Vet Hum Toxicol. 2003 Feb; 45(1): 20-3.

Effects of Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) on rat fertility.

de Mello FB, Jacobus D, de Carvalho KC, de Mello JR.

Departamento de Farmacologia, Instituto de CiÃªncias BÃ¡sicas da SaÃºde (ICBS), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av Sarmento Leite no 500 sala 202, 90046-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Lantana camara, widely used in folk medicine, possesses several pharmacological properties, including antipyretic, antimicrobial and antimutagenic properties. Lantana poisoning causes livestock mortality and morbidity; and also has adverse effects on humans working in lantana-infested forests, pastures or orchards. We examined the effects of a hydroalcoholic extract from Lantana camara var aculeata leaves on fertility of male rats. The extract did not interfere with overall weight or internal organ weights, but interfered with sperm count, daily sperm production and sperm morphology in a dose-dependent manner.