Effect of Macrotyloma uniflorum (Horse gram) on early and mid-pregnancy of rats

Abstract

Macrotyloma uniflorum (Horse gram) is a popular pulse in Asia. This study has investigated the effect of aqueous seed extract of horse gram on early and mid-pregnancy using female Wister rats. The extract or distilled water was orally administered during day 1-7 or day 8-14 of pregnancy as daily single doses. Oral administration of the extract (6.17 g/kg) in early pregnancy has significantly increased the pre-implantation loss compared to the controls (28.96 ± 2.26% vs 45.44 ± 5.42%; P< 0.05) with a decrease in implantation index (71.04 ± 2.26% vs to 54.56 ± 5.42%). The administering of the extract in mid pregnancy significantly reduced the weight, tail length, and craniosacral length of litter. This shows that consumption of horse gram in early pregnancy can interfere with successful implantation of embryo, while in mid pregnancy, it induces retardation of pup development.