Abstract
Background and Aim:Essential oils found frequently in plants are well known for their activities against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and antioxidant properties. This study aimed to analyze egg yolk replacement by seed oils of Gossypium spp. (cotton), Balanites aegyptiaca (desert date), and Sesamum indicum (sesame) in semen extender, on ram sperm quality chilled at 4°C and frozen-thawed.Materials and Methods:Ejaculates were collected from adult rams and refrigerated at 4°C in a Tris-based extender containing 1.25%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% of Gossypium spp., B. aegyptiaca, and S. indicum seed oils, to evaluate which were the two best extenders for comparison with BIOXcell, a commercial extender for deep freezing ram semen.Results:The data showed that sperm movements analyzed by the CASA system were faster in extenders supplemented with 2.5-5% of cottonseed oil and 1.25-10% of sesame oil, whereas in the extender containing B. aegyptiaca oil, all seminal parameters studied had the worst values. During the sperm-freezing process, 5% of cottonseed oil and 5% sesame seed oil were selected from the first study, with sesame oil reaching the best sperm quality. Thus, sperm motility and velocity were 44.14±13.99%, 24.44±12.6%, and 25.92±11.50%; and 20.26±9.56%, 8.76±6.38%, and 9.42±5.40%, respectively, for sesame oil, cottonseed oil, and BIOXcell.Conclusion:In summary, 2.5-10% of cottonseed oil and 1.25-10% of sesame seed oil can replace egg yolk in a Tris–egg yolk–based extender. Moreover, a Tris-based extender supplemented with 5% sesame seed oil could be an alternative for deep freezing ram semen, even though these results need to be confirmed with semen collected from rams with appropriate sexual rest.
Highlights
Niger is a West African country whose animal husbandry contributes to nearly 12% of the national gross domestic product [1]
The Tris–egg yolk extender control reached the highest values with 8.86±4.41% of motility average, but it is essential to state that this difference was not significant (p=0.08) when compared with most extenders, again, except for the extenders supplemented with 2.5-10% of desert date oil (Table-2)
Our results demonstrated that sesame seed oil and cottonseed oil added in the Tris-based extender, at concentrations of 1.25-10% and 2.5-5%, respectively, seemed to improve semen quality at 5°C, that difference was not significant with sperm stored in the extender control
Summary
Niger is a West African country whose animal husbandry contributes to nearly 12% of the national gross domestic product [1]. According to the last national livestock survey, Niger has 7,340,610 cows, 7,932,586 sheep, 11,241,280 goats, 1,565,421 camels, 232,470 horses, and 1,474,882 donkeys [2]. Among these species, small ruminants (goats and sheep) are the most numerous and contribute more to household sustainability. The r ed goat of Maradi and Balami sheep, have been well researched in and outside Niger for their skin quality, meat, and high milk production. Most of these breeds’ flocks are concentrated in the country’s south-east. This study aimed to analyze egg yolk replacement by seed oils of Gossypium spp. (cotton), Balanites aegyptiaca (desert date), and Sesamum indicum (sesame) in semen extender, on ram sperm quality chilled at 4°C and frozen-thawed
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