Effect of Aqueous Fruit Extract of Ficus polita (Vahl) on Body Weight and Sexual Maturity in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus, 1758) in Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the effect of aqueous fruit extract of Ficus polita on body weight and sexual maturity in rabbits. Study design:  Experimental Design Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Histology, Embryology and Cytogenetics, Unit of Medical Sciences of Abidjan and Laboratory of Biological Sciences, Unit of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, Felix Houphouët-Boigny University, between February and June 2024. Methodology: A phytochemical screening of this extract was first carried out. Acute oral toxicity was then assessed in accordance with OECD Guideline no. 425. For the weight gain and sexual maturity efficacy test, rabbits were divided into five groups of three animals each and treated orally every other day for 45 days. Group 1 received distilled water. Group 2 received the reference molecule, Tadalafil (1 mg/kg b.w.). Groups 3, 4, and 5 were treated with the aqueous fruit extract of Ficus polita at doses of 200, 300, and 600 mg/kg b.w., respectively. The rabbits were weighed, and blood samples were collected for testosterone measurement were taken every 15 days. At the end of the study, sperm was collected via epididymal puncture, and testicles were dissected for histological examination. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponosides, flavonoids, catechin tannins, anthraquinones, cardiotonic glycosides, indoles, leucoanthocyanins, anthracenosides, sterols, and terpenes in the fruit extract of Ficus polita. The body weight of rabbits administrated doses of 200 and 600 mg/kg of extract increased significantly after 15–30 days of treatment. Testosterone levels were significant after 45 days of treatment in rabbits receiving the extract at 200 mg/kg, with a peak of 0.38 ng/mL. A significant increase in sperm concentration was observed in all treated rabbits, with a maximum value of 1746.6 ± 55.17106 spz/mL in the group treated with 600 mg/kg of extract. Conclusion: This study showed that the aqueous fruit extract of Ficus polita had beneficial effects on rabbit growth and improved sperm quality.