Effects of the aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa on male fertility and reproductive performance in the rat model

Abstract

Hibiscus sabdariffa is a popular herb and has long been widely utilised for ethnomedicinal purposes. Despite its benefits, there is very scarce information available on the reproductive toxicity of this plant. The present study aimed to investigate the potential effects of the aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa (AEHS) on the male reproductive system of Sprague Dawley rats. A total of forty males were administered with AEHS at the different dosages of 250, 500, 1000 mg/kg/day or distilled water (control), by oral gavage daily throughout the 60-day treatment periods, which comprised three phases: pre-mating, mating, and post-mating. Results obtained demonstrated that the effects of AEHS on the reproductive system of male rats were slightly significant for certain doses. No mortality and any signs of physical and behavioural toxicity were observed. The mating performance was also not affected. Similarly, the mean body weight of rats was statistically not affected. However, the reproductive organ weights were found to be considerably different. Furthermore, AEHS increased the testosterone levels and sperm counts of the 250 and 1000 mg/kg dose groups, while the 500 mg/kg dose group showed considerably low levels for both parameters. The 500 mg/kg dose group was detected to exhibit inconsistent data for several parameters when compared to other groups, which might be caused by confounding factors instead of AEHS. Therefore, the current data suggest that AEHS should be consumed with caution particularly when the daily dose exceeds 250 mg/kg of body weight.