Impact Of Hibiscus Sabdariffa Calyx Aqueous Extract Consumption By Pregnant And Lactating Spraguedawley Rats On Pregnancy Outcome And Postnatal Development

ABSTRACT

Extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) are widely believed in folk medicine to be effective in the treatment of a variety of ailments. Aqueous extract of HS has been reported to decrease fluid and food consumption and weight gain in non-pregnant rats through mechanisms not yet fully understood. Thus when aqueous extract of HS is administered to pregnant and lactating animals, it may lead to decreased food consumption and consequently, malnutrition in these animals. Maternal malnutrition during pregnancy and lactation has been shown to lead to offspring malnutrition, since nutrition of the offspring at this period of their development is dependent on maternal nutrition, and a host of abnormalities later in life. There is paucity of data on pregnancy outcomes and offspring postnatal developments following maternal consumption of aqueous extract of HS during pregnancy and/or lactation. The present study was therefore designed to investigate whether or not maternal consumption of aqueous extract of HS during pregnancy, lactation and pregnancy and lactation will affect pregnancy outcomes in terms of pregnancy weight gain, length of gestation, litter size and birth weight and postnatal development in the female offspring in terms of postnatal weight gain and onset of puberty and to examine the possible mechanisms through which these effects (if any) are mediated. Ninety (90) acclimatized virgin female Sprague-Dawley rats aged between ten and twelve weeks with two consecutive regular four-day estrus cycles and weighing 122.57.5g (mean  standard error of mean) (Range: 100g – 160g) were used for this study. The rats were mated and studied and used to produce offsprings that were also studied. On day 1 of pregnancy, the rats were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups namely: Group A -rats that consumed aqueous HS throughout pregnancy only, Group B -rats that consumed aqueous HS throughout lactation only and Group C -rats that consumed aqueous HS throughout pregnancy and lactation.