Annual Research & Review in Biology

Abstract

With the rising popularity of energy drink among Nigerian youths and males especially, there is the need to investigate the possible side effect of its major constituent, caffeine on reproductive and health related issues. To test the reproductive, health, and other effects of energy drink, increasing concentration of Red Bull^® was offered ad libitum to adult male mice for twenty eight days. The Control, Treatment 1 was offered 100% water. Treatments 2-5 were offered 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% Red Bull^®, respectively. Sperm head abnormally counts and haematological parameters were carried out at 7, 14, and 28 days of exposure, while body movements studies of the mice were conducted on the last five days of energy drink exposure. The study showed that mice offered 75% concentration of Red Bull for 14-28 days had significantly (P<0.05) negative effects on sperm head abnormalities. The percent abnormal sperm head for Treatments 1-5 were 1.82, 8.07, 12.40, 15.46 and 21.81 respectively. Haematological parameters that were most affected were the mean corpuscular haemaglobin concentration and platelets. The number of body movements increased with increasing concentration of Red Bull^®. These results could imply that exposure to energy drink should be at low concentration and not for long period so that it does not have negative reproductive, haematological and behavioural outcomes.