Effects of calcium carbide ripened banana on organ weight, histological architecture and semen profile on male albino Wistar rats

Abstract

Fruits play an important role in human diets, providing essential nutrients and helping to prevent disease. However, concerns arise regarding their impact on male reproductive health due to potential exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and artificial ripening agents. This study investigates the acute and chronic effects of calcium carbide-ripened bananas on testicular weight and histological architecture, and semen profile in adult male Wistar rats. A 14-week experiment involved acclimatization, followed by acute (4 weeks) and chronic (12 weeks) phases, with rats divided into control and various banana-treated groups. Notably, in the chronic phase, significant decreases in relative testicular weight were observed in rats administered 200mg/kg of calcium carbide-ripened bananas compared with the control and with those treated with normal ripe banana respectively. Significant reductions in sperm motility and total sperm count were noted in group D in the acute phase when compared with the group treated with normal ripe banana. Increased levels of active spermatogonia and spermatogenesis were observed in the rats administered with normal ripened banana, with mild degeneration of germinal epithelium in the chronic phase, particularly in the calcium carbide-ripened banana-treated groups. These findings may suggest potential adverse effects of calcium carbide-ripened bananas on male reproductive health, warranting further investigation into their safety and regulation.