ABR Vol 3[4] 2012 ~ 95 ~ © SOE, INDIA © SOE, INDIA Evaluation of the Changes in Sperm Morphology, Sperm Count and Gonadotrophic Ratio of Swiss Albino Male Mice Fed Continuously With Microwave Exposed Food Priyanka Raghuvanshi* ,Priyanka Mathur*, Ruchisha Sethi ,Pradeep Bhatnagar Department of Life Sciences International College for Girls, The IIS University, Jaipur Emai: Priyanka.raghuvanshi@gmail.com;pmathur1278@yahoo.com ABSTRACT With the technological advancements the dependence of man on electronic gadgets has increased many folds. The electronic gadgets have entered in man life from bedroom to kitchen. One such invention is microwave which has reduced the cooking time significantly .The harmful effects of microwave came into light after the Swiss and German research(Humbolt- Universitat zu Berlin 1942-1943, the Institute of Radio Technology at Kinsk,1957). In the present study the experimental animals: Swiss Albino male mice, were divided into 3 groups Control, Sham and Experimental. The sham group was given the normal food in low quantity whereas control was given normal food in sufficient amount and experimental group were provided microwave exposed food pellets at 320°C for 10 minutes. Mice were fed with the fixed quantity for 2 weeks, 3weeks, 4 weeks and 4 weeks recovery was fed with microwave exposed food for 4 week after that they were fed on normal feed for 4 weeks (Recovery group).The body weight and gonadotropic ratio showed marked fluctuations whereas the sperm count from 2 weeks to 4 weeks showed significant reduction. After the replacement of treated food with normal food, recovery was observed. The gonadotropic ratio declined significantly. The level of deformities, like coiled tail, oval head, cytoplasmic droplets, and bifurcated tails, continuously increased with increasing duration of feeding of microwave exposed food food. Keywords: Microwave cooked food, sperm count, sperm morphology, gondotropic ratio. INTRODUCTION With increasing urbanization and scientific development our need for electronic gadgets has increased a lot. Our dependence on gadgets leads to more inventions and it has now become an integral part of everybody’s life. From home to offices electronic equipments are now part of our day to day activities as it eases much of our loads. Though,it has made many things easier but it has a great impact on our lifestyle patterns. One such invention is microwave technology .Microwave technology has been widely used in national defense, industrial and agricultural production, transportation, communications, information industry, medical and scientific research fields, to the people's work and life. A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating. This is accomplished by using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food. Water molecules present in the food are bipolar, they absorb microwaves and cause heating of food items. Microwave exposure caused a higher degree of protein unfolding than usual thermal stress at the same temperature [1].Additionally, microwaving creates new compounds that are not found in humans or in nature called radiolytic compounds [2]. There are reports that microwave radiations altered amino acids in milk and food to toxins for both the nervous system and the kidneys [3]. Yuan [4] found that microwaving food produced more acrylamide than boiling or frying (at 180°C), and that 750 Watt ovens produced more acrylamide(cancer causing) than 500 Watt ovens .Microwaving may even result in the development of new, hitherto unknown substances. The microwaves-induced reversal of the polarity, causes the cells in the nutrients to become destructively polarized, possibly allowing for the creation of free radicals [5]. All free radicals have a strong tendency to cause reactions. They can interact with enzymes thus causing a disruption of biological processes. In addition, through induction the food itself becomes a carrier and secondary source of technically generated radiation. William Kopp[6] observed that microwave exposure adversely affect the essential nutritional components of a food ,like vitamins, A B R ISSN 0976-4585 Original Article A Ad dv v a a n nc ce e s s i i n n B Bi i o or r e e s s e ea a r r c ch h Volume 3 [4] December 2012: 95 - 99 © 2012 Society of Education, India [ISO 9001: 2008 Certified Organization] Website: http://www.soeagra.com/abr/abr.htm