Saponins
Mahua contains high levels of saponins, which reduce palatability and have antinutritional and toxic effects on animals, though less so in ruminants (EFSA, 2009). Mahua seed cake containing 5-6% saponins and fed to rats at 10-12% of the diet caused 100% rat mortality within a month (Mulky, 1976 cited by Shanmugasundaram et al., 1985). The oral LD50 in mice of crude Madhuca saponins was about 1.0 g/kg body weight. In mice and rats, Madhuca saponins caused local gastro-intestinal toxicity as well as liver and kidney toxicity. At lower doses, they are responsible for feed refusal leading to starvation, with reduced body weight gain and increased mortality (EFSA, 2009). There are few toxicity studies on monogastric animals. In chicks, it was reported that mahua seed cake included at approximately 12% of the diet was lethal (EFSA, 2009).
Tannins
Mahua seed cake contains tannins that affect negatively its utilisation in livestock feeding (Singhal et al., 1986).