Aflatoxin and aflatoxicosis. III. Effect of dietary aflatoxin on the morphology of buffalo bull spermatozoa.

The main aim of this study was to determine the effect of aflatoxin on male reproduction by exposure to fodders contaminated by moulds producing toxins as a natural environmental contaminants. Semen was collected from three normal healthy buffalo bulls every ten days for one month before adding the toxin and examined for livability percentages. Moldy rice containing aflatoxin B and G was incorporated into the ration of the studied bulls in a daily amount of 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 gm respectively for each bull for two weeks. Each gramme of the rice powder contained 15.6 ppm aflatoxin B and 9.84 ppm aflatoxin G as determined spectrophotometrically. Semen was collected in the middle of the two weeks experimental period. Moreover, one week, one month and two months later, semen was collected again and examined for the same parameters. The results showed marked decrease in the alive percentage of spermatozoa from 91.11% to 80.8% after the addition of aflatoxin. Moreover, a very high increase in the sperm abnormalities up to 54% was recorded.