Effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa supplementation on prostate morphological alterations induced by obesity: Experimental model in rats

• Grant number: 24/05375-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: João Luiz Amaro
• Grantee: Thiago Kenzo Fugita
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is associated with several comorbidities, such as changes in renal function, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, liver diseases, dyslipidemias, among others. It is considered a serious epidemiological problem, which has received increasing attention from public health control. The use of various medicinal plants has been investigated for their possible effect on obesity. Hibiscus tea has been researched over the past decade, both with an emphasis on its effects on lipemia and on helping obesity. Objective: To evaluate the effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa supplementation on the prostate tissue of Wistar rats with obesity induced by a palatable high-fat diet (HFD). Methodology: 48 male Wistar rats will be studied, divided into 4 groups (n=12): Control group: animals fed with commercial rat chow and water ad libitum. Control + hibiscus group: animals fed with commercial diet and ingestion of hibiscus tea ad libitum. Obese group: animals fed with HFD and ad libitum water intake. Obese + hibiscus group: animals fed HFD and ingestion of hibiscus tea ad libitum. The animals will receive diets and tea for 16 weeks. They will be weighed weekly and evaluated for food and water intake. At the end of 16 weeks, the rats will be anesthetized, and blood will be collected for biochemical and hormonal analysis, and quantification of the main inflammatory cytokines. After euthanasia, the prostate will be removed "en-bloc" with the bladder and undergone to histomorphometric analysis in order to characterize the histological changes in the prostate induced by obesity and the possible effect of hibiscus tea on these alterations.