Reproductive Toxicity of Theobroma cacao: Increase in Survival Index, Nongenotoxic, and Proimplantation Potential
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hindawi
Abstract
Unsweetened natural cocoa (UNCP) was evaluated for reproductive toxicity in rats. A preliminary genotoxic potential was
evaluated by the DNA comet assay test using C57Bl/6 mice. Both therapeutic dose (TD; 900 mg/kg) and high dose (HD; 9000 mg/
kg) of UNCP were used. White Wistar rats were used in two experimental groups. .e females received UNCP 15 days before
crossing with untreated males. .e males received UNCP for 48 days before mating with untreated females. Subacute toxicity was
observed during a 14-day oral administration of UNCP. Results show that a high tail DNA% was observed with methyl mesylate
administration in all tissues analysed. .e lowest tail DNA% value was observed in the liver (1.64 ± 0.26) and kidney (1.63 ± 0.30)
during UNCP (TD) administration. UNCP did not induce observable physical congenital malformations on the pubs of treated
female and male rats, lacks genotoxic potential, and did not adversely affect pregnancy index, pub weights, and survival index, but
UNCP exhibited proimplantation potential (p > 0.05).
Description
Research Article