Estrus Induction Response and Fertility Performance in Delayed Pubertal Heifers Treated withAegle marmelosandMurraya koenigii

The present study was designed to examine the estrus induction response and fertility performance in delayed pubertal heifers treated with two medicinal plants Aegle marmelos in combination with Murraya koenigii. A total of 11 heifers were treated with the plants leaf powder for 9 days per orally after determining the dose by the extrapolation from effective dose of 50% ethanolic extract in rats (1000 mg/kg b. wt.) with optimum ovarian response. Extrapolated extract dose was subsequently converted to powder dose based on per cent yield. Six heifers were kept as untreated control. Six out of 11 (54.1%) heifers in treatment group and 1 out of 6 (16.7%) in control group exhibited standing estrus. All these estrus heifers were inseminated and confirmed as pregnant and calved in due course. Though the proportion of heifers that showed estrus, became pregnant and calved in the end, did not achieve statistical significance (P>0.05) between the groups, nevertheless, the number and proportion of such heifers was higher in the treatment group than that of control. In conclusion, the present study indicates that Aegle marmelos in combination with Murraya koenigii have the potential to induce estrus in delayed pubertal heifers with appreciable fertility performance.