Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites principally produced
by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus
(Jacobsen et al., 2007) . Although twenty types of aflatoxins
have been identified, only aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 are
usually found together in feeds and feedstuffs in various
proportions. However, AFB1 is the most toxic one. Direct
consequences consumption of aflatoxins-contaminated feed
include; decreased feed intake, feed rejection, poor feed
conversion (Akande et al., 2006), decreased body weight,
increased disease incidence due to immune-suppression
(Meissonnier et al., 2006) and reduced reproductive capacities
(El-Saad and Mahmoud, 2007) which leads to economic losses
in agriculture and domestic animals (Wu, 2006). Also it can be
carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, tremorgenic and
hemorrhagic. It also cause damage in the central nervous
system, liver or kidneys (Wangikar et al., 2005; Akande et al.,
2006). Aflatoxins lead to acute toxicity with symptoms such
as fever, oedema, vomiting, abdominal pain, in appetence and
liver failure. During aflatoxicosis in rabbits, histopathological
examination revealed vascular congestion, leucocytic
infiltration and degenerative changes in the affected organs
during the initial stage of toxicosis. At its terminal stage, a
coagulative necrosis, perivascular and per ductal fibro cellular
reactions along with mononuclear-cellular infiltration and
distortion of the hepatic chords were observed in the liver
(Lakkawar et al., 2004).
Exposure to aflatoxins is known to produce male
reproductive toxic effects with several events which have been
reported in previous studies. The target organs in causing male
reproductive toxicity are the testicles and various aspects of
spermatogenesis (Richburg, 2000). However, the epididymis
can also be targeted by such reproductive toxicants
(Akbarsha et al., 2000; Krausz and Forti, 2000).
The seminiferous tubules show degeneration of the
epithelium and reduction in the number of mature spermatids
in aflatoxin treated rabbits (Lakkawar et al., 2004). Generation
of multinucleate giant spermatids or simplistic spermatids as
one of the more symptoms of aflatoxicosis (Agnes and
Akbarsha, 2003; Faridha et al., 2007) were additionally
observed.