Efficacy of Nigella sativa extract on abnormalities of cryopreserved sperm of Holstein bulls raised in Iraq

Abstract

The present study was performed on Holstein bulls at the Department of Artificial Insemination center/ Directorate of Animal Resource, Ministry of Agriculture in Abu-Ghraib, Baghdad, during the period from December 2021 to June 2022.The study was conducted to enrich low semen quality by adding Nigella sativa aqueous extract to semen Tris extender.Three to five years old bulls (No= 4), weighing 500-750 Kg body weight were used for semen collection by artificial vagina (AV) weakly. Bad pooled fresh semen was divided into four groups.First group used a control containing Tris extender only (C), second group added 0.5% NS extract,third group added 2% NS extract, and the fourth group added 4% NS extract.The results revealed different aqueous extract of N.S after zero time and 2 hrs.Post-cooling, for head abnormalities no significant differences (P<0.05) between treatment and control, while it recorded a significant decrease in T1 and T2, compared with T3 and T4, after 4 hrs., post-cooling and 48 hrs., post freezing (cryopreservation), mid-piece abnormalities reported no significant differences (P<0.05) in all groups at zero time, after 4 hrs., post-cooling and 24 hrs., post freezing while it recorded a significant decrease (P<0.05) in T2 and T3 compared with T1 and T4 after 2hrs.