Efficiency of reproduction of female rabbits experimentally treated with Ricinus communis

Abstract EN

Aim of current study was to demonstrate the reproductive efficiency of female rabbits treated experimentally with Ricinus communis.

32, local breed rabbits, weighing 1- 2 kg, of 1-2 years old, 16 rabbits of either sex.

8 rabbits of either sex were treated with Ricinus extract, 50 mg /kg b.

wt.

PO, daily for 14 days.

The remaining rabbits were left without treatment.

In day 14th post treatment, one female was cross to one male in separated cages, as follow: rabbits of the 1st group represented treated females, crossed with treated males.

Rabbits of 2nd group represented none treated females, crossed with none treated males Those of 3rd group represented treated females, crossed with none treated males.

And those of 4th group represented none treated female crossed with treated males.

The mixing continued for 1 week.

After crossing with the males, all females were examined by sonar weekly for pregnancy, for 4 weeks.

8 females, 2 from each group, were subjected to euthanasia using chloroform - soaked cotton at day 28 post crossing; each rabbit was lapratomized, and the uterine horns incised, the number of implantation sites was recorded.

The remaining females remained, till normal birth and the number of babies delivered by each rabbit were recorded.

Body weight significantly increased in both treated and none treated female.

Body temperature significantly increased in treated females.

Respiratory and heart rates none significantly increased in both treated and none treated females.

Bleeding time decreased significantly in treated females.

Clotting time not significant changed.

Total erythrocytes count and hemoglobin concentration, Packed Cell Volumes (PCV% ), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Total leucocytes count not significant changed.

Monocytes (M% ), Basophils (B% ) not significant changed.

Eosinophils (E% ), Heterophils (H% ) significantly decreased in treated females.

Lymphocytes (L% ) increased significantly in treated females.

The results revealed significant decreases in percentage of fertility in females treated with Ricinus extract.

As females treated with ricin and crossed with males treated with ricin were none pregnant (0% ).

The effect of treatment with Ricinus extract for 14 days, on reproductive efficiency of rabbits, did not affect the length of pregnancy, as the period remain 30-32 days.

There was significant decrease in fetus numbers in female treated with Ricinus, and those crossed with treated male in comparison with those of none treated female and male.