Effect of Mucuna urens (horse eye bean) on the gonads of male guinea-pigs

The effect of Mucuna urens (seeds) on the gonads and sex accessory glands o f male guinea-pigs was investigated. Sexually mature guinea-pigs of proven fertility were administered orally with 70 mg/kg and 140 mg/kg body weight of crude extract daily for 8 weeks respectively. Phytochemical screening of the seeds revealed the presence of alkaloids, No death or weight loss were observed during the duration of treatment, No pregnancy occurred in female s mated with the treated males. Histological observations at high dose (140 mg/kg) showed complete degenera tion of sperm in the testicular tubules, In some tubules, the acrosomal cap of the sperm cells was separated from the nuclei which underwent colour ch anges, In some tubules only the tails were left in the lumen. The spermatid s, primary and secondary spermatocytes showed pycnosis while the morphology of spermatogonia and germinal epithelium appeared normal. Some epididymides were devoid of sperm while others contained degenerated s permatozoa and cell debris. In the prostate gland there was collapse of the villi and reduction of secretion in both the prostate and seminal vesicles , At low doses (70 mg/kg), there was spermatogenic arrest at spermatid stag e. These observations have shown that M. urens is a potential male antifert ility agent. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.