Hormonal changes, semen quality and variance in reproductive activity outcomes of post pubertal rabbits fed Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf powder

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is an important plant based staple food, known for its nutritional and medicinal value and is usually prescribed by herbal practitioners in Nigeria and in other tropical countries for the treatment of male infertility problems and reproductive diseases in females. Although the aphrodisiac properties and fertility enhancement potential in males have been reported, the underlying mechanisms for the activity remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the influence of supplementing the diet with M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder on reproductive hormones and semen quality of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Materials and methods Thirty-two (32) NZW rabbits of 50:50 ratio bucks to does, were randomly distributed to four treatment groups (n = 4 bucks, n = 4 does per group). Graded levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 g/kg) of M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder was incorporated into rabbit growers pellet. The does and bucks were housed separately in hutches and sheltered under the same environmental conditions with free access to their respective treatment diets for a period of 12 weeks. Results In female rabbits, treatment revealed significant (P  M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder in the diet. Conclusions We conclude that M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder supplementation to the diet was more beneficial to male rabbit fertility than the female, where it tended to have a negative impact through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, with the varying impact of M. oleifera Lam. leaf powder on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of male and female animals, further investigation is necessary to determine the mechanism through which it operates.