Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaf (HLM) was added to a basal diet (350g crude protein and 18.5MJ gross energy/kg diet) at 0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0 g/kg diets and fed to mixed-sex Oreochromis niloticus for 60 days to evaluate the effects on growth, feed conversion ratio, reproduction traits, and histology of gonads. There were no variations (p >0.05) in growth parameters and feed conversion ratio. Indices of reproduction traits decreased with increasing dietary HLM levels. Fish fed with the basal diet had higher and better indices of reproduction traits (P<0.05) than the fish fed with HLM diets. Fish fed 0g HLM/kg diet showed normal testicular and ovarian tissues, and no lesions were observed. Fish fed 1.0g HLM/kg diet showed slight increase in interstitial cells in testes. Fish fed 2.0g HLM/kg diet showed swollen spermatids nuclei, increased interstitial cells and focal necrosis in testes; and hydropic degeneration, ruptured follicles, granulomatous inflammation in the insterstitium and necrosis in ovaries. Fish fed 3.0g HLM/kg diet exhibited atrophy of seminiferous tubules in testes. Fish fed 4.0g HLM/kg diet, there was disintegration of spermatids and necrosis in testes and severe atretic follicles in ovaries. Reproduction traits and histological observations of gonads in O. niloticus fed high dietary HLM levels revealed that Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves may be effective as a reproduction inhibitor in O. niloticus.
Keywords:Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Reproduction inhibitor, Gonad histology, Oreochromis niloticus
IntroductionRed Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is a widely grown evergreen ornamental herbs, shrubs and trees of the tropics and sub-tropics which are grown as landscape plants, attractive roadside plants, border plants or as a container plants in greenhouses (Hou et al 2005). It belongs to the family Malvaceae and are reported to posses various medicinal properties viz: regulation of menstral cycle, curing hypoglycemia, potentiate hair growth, antihypertensive, anti-tumour, antioxidant and even treatment of veneral diseases{Hirunpanich et al (2006), Chang et al (2006), Herrara (2004), Palaniswamy (2003 and Telefor et al (1998)}.Hibiscus rosa-sinensis had also been used as fertility control agent in some animal models {Zhou ), Jiang (1998), Tan (1983), Farnsworth (1982 and Tiwari (1982)}. The flowers have been reported to posses anti-implantation and anti-spermatogenic activities (Murthy et al 1997). Vasudeva and Sharma (2007) reported a post-coital activity of ether extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis roots administered orally to colony-breed female albino rats(Wister strain) and adult albino mice.Tilapias constitute one of the most productive and internationally traded food fish in the world (Modadugu and Belen 2004). They are a major protein source in many of the developing countries. The commodity is not only the second most important farmed fish globally (next to carp) but also described as the most important aquaculture species of the 21 st century (Shelton 2002).(FAO 2006) reported that farmed ...