Study of the teratogenic potential of guar gum

Guar gum in the diet at 0, 1, 2, 4, 7.5 or 15% was available ad lib. to male and female Osborne-Mendel rats for 13 wk before mating, during mating and throughout gestation. During gestation, the females consumed 0, 0.7, 1.4, 2.7, 5.2 or 11.8 g guar gum/kg of body weight/day, respectively. The animals were killed on gestation day 20. No behavioural effects were seen in any of the treated dams, and no females died during the experiment. Pregnant females in the treated groups consumed less food than the controls during gestation days 0-20 but the decrease was significant only in the 4 and 7.5% groups and was not dose related. Ingestion of guar gum before mating did not affect fertility. In the dams fed 1-7.5% guar gum, there was no effect on the number of corpora lutea or implantations. The dams fed 15% guar gum had slightly fewer corpora lutea and implantations than the controls but no effect was seen on implantation efficiency in this group. The number of viable foetuses/litter was also reduced slightly but not significantly in the 15% group, but since the number of resorptions was not affected, this decrease appears to be an effect of the decreased number of corpora lutea. There was no compound-related effect on foetal development or sex distribution. No terata were seen.