Effect of Alcoholic Extract of Garden Rocket Eruca sativa Mill. Seed on Some Reproductive Traits and Carcasses Quality of Aged Local Duck Males

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impacts of Eruca sativa seed extract on some reproductive indicators and carcasses quality for aged local duck males. Forty-five aged local ducks males with the average live-weight of (2000±5g) and two years old were randomly distributed into three treatments (15 for each). After dissolution in corn oil, T2 and T3 were supplemented with 400 and 800 mg alcoholic extract of Eruca sativa seed respectively.T1 has only given corn oil (control). Weekly, a dosage of 2 ml was twice given to the treatments by syringe. The current results showed significant (P<0.05) increases in the relative weight, length, width and volume of testes in males of second and third treatments compared to the first treatment (control). Besides, the second and third treatments recorded significant (P<0.05) improvements in the diameter of seminiferous tubules, seminiferous epithelium thickness (µm) of testes, the Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and the level of testosterone hormone compared to the control. Chemical and physical tests of the breast meat showed no significant among all treatments in the ratio of free fatty acids, pH and water tolerability. Regarding the peroxide number, second treatment recorded the lowest significant (P<0.05) compared to other treatments. It concluded that alcoholic extract of Eruca sativa seed could enhance reproductive characteristics and significantly improve sex hormones in aged local duck males and effect on the number of peroxide in its breast meat.