REPRODUCTIVE AND PERINATAL AND POSTNATAL EVALUATION OF SPIRULINA-MAXIMA IN MICE

Spirulina maxima, provided by Sosa Texcoco Company (Mexico City), was administered to mice of both sexes in a fertility study, at concentrat ions of 0, 10, 20 and 30% incorporated into the diet. Males were fed f or nine weeks while females, for two weeks, and feeding continued duri ng the mating period and gestation. On the other hand, in a peri-and p ostnatal study, the alga was given only to females at the same concent rations from day 15 of gestation until day 21 post-partum Treatments w ere not associated with any adverse effect on reproductive performance , pregnancy rate, number of corpora lutea, resorptions or number of li ve or dead fetuses. There was no increase in the number of abnormal pu ps at caesarean section. Length of gestation, parturition status, and litter values were unaffected by treatment. However, there was a stati stically significant reduction in bodyweight and survival rate on post natal days 0-4 at the high dose group in the peri-and postnatal study. The reproductive performance of F-1 generation was normal in all grou ps. We conclude that S. maxima is not toxic to reproduction.