Iyare E E, Nwagha U I
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Pak J Biol Sci. 2009 Dec 1;12(23):1505-10. doi: 10.3923/pjbs.2009.1505.1510.
The report that intervention during the juvenile-pubertal period in rats modifies the phenotype induced by prenatal nutrition suggests some degree of plasticity in the juvenile-pubertal period. It is not known whether consumption of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) during the juvenile-pubertal period will affect the growth and onset of puberty in rats. The present study was therefore designed to investigate this. Weaned 21-days-old rats, whose mothers were given food and water ad libitum during pregnancy and lactation, were divided randomly into three groups of nine rats each. Control group had tap water only while the extract groups had 0.6 g extract/100 mL and 1.8 g extract/100 mL as their drinking solution throughout the juvenile-pubertal period [postnatal day (PND) 21-puberty onset]. From PND 30 onwards, the rats were inspected daily for vaginal opening, which was used as the index for puberty onset. Rats in the HS groups (0.6 and 1.8 g/100 mL) drank less fluid (solution of HS extract and water) and consumed less food compared with the control group at all periods of measurement. The weight of 0.6 g/100 mL was not different from the control whereas 1.8 g/100 mL was lower at PND 28, similar at PND 35 and higher at PND 42 compared with the control. Puberty onset in the HS groups was significantly delayed compared with the control. It is concluded that consumption of aqueous extract of HS during the juvenile-pubertal period decreased fluid and food consumption, increased weight gain and delayed puberty onset in rats.
有报告称，对大鼠幼年期至青春期进行干预会改变产前营养诱导的表型，这表明幼年期至青春期存在一定程度的可塑性。目前尚不清楚在幼年期至青春期食用玫瑰茄（HS）水提取物是否会影响大鼠的生长和青春期启动。因此，本研究旨在对此进行调查。将21日龄断奶的大鼠（其母亲在怀孕和哺乳期自由进食和饮水）随机分为三组，每组九只。对照组仅饮用自来水，而提取物组在整个幼年期至青春期（出生后第21天至青春期开始）将0.6克提取物/100毫升和1.8克提取物/100毫升作为饮用溶液。从出生后第30天起，每天检查大鼠的阴道开口情况，将其作为青春期开始的指标。在所有测量阶段，HS组（0.6克/100毫升和1.8克/100毫升）的大鼠饮用的液体（HS提取物和水的溶液）较少，食物摄入量也比对照组少。0.6克/100毫升组的体重在出生后第28天与对照组无差异，在出生后第35天相似，在出生后第42天比对照组高。与对照组相比，HS组的青春期启动明显延迟。研究得出结论，在幼年期至青春期食用HS水提取物会减少大鼠的液体和食物摄入量，增加体重增加，并延迟青春期启动。
