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ABSTRACT
Over the last decades the consumption of soft drinks has increased substantially, with Coca-cola being one of the most popular and a ubiquitous choice for people of all ages. Several lines of evidence have proposed that the excessive consumption of Coca-cola may increase the risk of reproductive problems such as decreased sperm count, and other abnormalities. While several studies have reported a negative affiliation between Coca-cola consumption and fertility, others have reported no significant association with Coca-cola and fertility, hence, the need for this study. The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of Coca-cola on the reproductive indices in adult male wistar rats. For this experiment, twenty adult male wistar rats weighing between 140g and 200g were used, and five rats were randomly assigned to four groups. Group A was the control, and was given feed and water only; group B was administered low dose of Coca-cola (5ml per kg); group C was administered medium dose of Coca-cola (10ml per kg); group D was administered the highest dose of Coca-cola (20ml per kg). The inferences of this experiment are thus: the control showed normal testicular architecture, having normal spermatogenic series; the group given 5ml of Coca-cola showed interstitial congestion, with normal spermatogenic series; the group administered 10ml of Coca-cola showed interstitial congestion and patchy maturation arrest; the group administered 20ml of Coca-cola showed interstitial congestion, and a more severe patchy maturation arrest. Based on statistics, there was a significant increase in FSH and Testosterone levels, following a decrease in sperm count, sperm motility and the percentage morphology. Furthermore, Coca-cola did not have any significant effect on blood glucose level as all the groups were within normal range. There was also no significant difference in body weight and testicular weight. From these findings, it can be said that that the increase in FSH and Testosterone level was a compensatory response to the Spermatocidal effect of Coca-cola on the Testes. Therefore, it can be said that Coca-cola has a direct inhibitory effect on spermatogenesis, leading to an overall decline in reproductive health.
