Purpose: To investigate the effect of processed horse eye bean (Mucuna urens L.), on weight of testes and epididymes, conception rate, sperm count, sperm viability and sperm head abnormality.
Methods: Seventy-two mature albino rats (24 males and 48 females) of 12 weeks old with similar body weights were assigned to four groups of 6 male rats each and treated with processed horse eye bean at 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight respectively daily for 8 weeks. The male rats were made to sire the untreated female rats in the ratio of 1:2 for fertility test. The male rats were then sacrificed and the testes and epididymes were dissected out and weighed. The epididymes were processed for epididymal sperm count, viability and sperm head abnormality test.
Results: Rats treated with processed horse eye bean showed no significant (P>0.05) effect on the weight of testes and epididymes, but treatment reduced the epididymal sperm count and sperm viability in dose-dependent manner when compared to the control. While it significantly (P<0.05) increased sperm head abnormality. The conception rates were significantly (P<0.05) reduced in a dose-dependent manner and directly proportional to sperm viability and sperm count; and inversely proportional to sperm head abnormality in all the treatment groups.
Conclusions: Processed horse eye bean still has some toxic effect on reproductive endpoints as well as conception rate. Hence, its indiscriminate use as soup thickener could result in reduction of spermatogenic activities and ultimately resulting in infertility, reproductive toxicity and dysfunctions.
