A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE MORPHOLOGY OF SPERMATOZOA STAINED WITH AQUEOUS AND HYDROETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF Hibiscus sabdariffa IN COTE D’IVOIRE

The semen analysis is a first-line test in the evaluation and management of infertility in couples. This study focused on evaluating the use of hibiscus flowers (Hibiscus sabdariffa) as an alternative staining agent in the study of sperm morphology. This was a comparative experimental study conducted over a five (5) months period from January to May 2026 at the Laboratory of Histology, Embryology, and Cytogenetics of the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Abidjan at Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY University. Staining extracts from Hibiscus sabdariffa were obtained from dried hibiscus flowers using two different methods: aqueous extraction and hydroethanolic extraction. These extracts were used to process semen samples collected from patients who had abstained for three(3) to five (5) days. A comparison was made with the routine dye. The experiments indicated that hydroethanolic extraction yielded results comparable to those obtained with conventional stains such as Papanicolaou. Significant economic and ecological benefits can be expected from the development of such natural plant-based stains, which are accessible to laboratories with limited resources.