Study Of The Effects Of Hibiscus-Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract On The Spermatogenesis Of Male Albino Rats.

Abstract

In search of new well-acceptable safe anti-fertility agent, the present study examined the effect of crude extract of the flowers of Hibiscus-rosa-sinensis as an antifertility agent in oral route on male albino rats. 84 healthy male albino rats were chosen, out of which 24 rats were kept as control group and designated as group I and remaining 60 rats were grouped into five (5) groups having 12 rats in each group and designated as groups II to VI. Each group was subdivided into two (2) subgroups having six (6) rats in each and marked them as ‘a’ & ‘b’. In ‘a’ subgroup of each group, the dose of crude extract was 150mg/kg and in ‘b’ subgroup the extract dose was 300mg/kg. The duration of the extract treatment were gradually increased from group II to group V, starting from 15 days in group II, 30 days in group III, 45 days in group IV and 60 days in group V. The rats were sacrificed accordingly after the last oral dose, their testes were weighed and biopsies were taken for histological studies using H&E stain. In the last group (group VI), the extract was given for 60 days and rats were sacrificed 30 days after the last oral dose and biopsies were taken accordingly for histological examination. The testes of the control groups were similarly collected at regular interval and histological examination done accordingly. Our study definitely revealed that the crude extract of the Hibiscus-rosa-sinensis flowers when fed orally to male albino rats in definitive dosage for 30, 45 & 60 days lead to changes in germinal epithelium of the testes ranging from mild damage to near total sloughing depending upon the duration of the treatment. The study definitely points towards the potential role of the plant as anti-fertility agent.