Influence of Oral Whole Extract from Moringa Oleifera on Semen Characteristics of Rabbits

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the effect of oral administration of whole extract from Moringa oleifera (MO) at levels of 0, 60 and 120 mg/head for 21 days on performance and semen characteristics of rabbit bucks. Total of 12 adult New Zealand rabbit bucks having live body weight (LBW) of 2304-2750 g/h kg and at six menthe of age were divided into three similar groups (n = 4 in each). Bucks in the 1st group were given 3 ml sterile distilled water (Control, G1), while those in the 2nd and 3rd groups were given 3 ml distilled water containing 60 (G2) or 120 (G3) mg from the whole extract of MO. Bucks in all groups were treated as daily oral administration for 21 days before semen collection. All bucks were fed commercial complete feed diet and kept under the same managerial and climatic conditions. Semen was collected twice a week for 8 weeks. On day of semen collection, reaction time (RT) was calculated and semen was evaluated for volume (SV), pH value, mass (MM) and progressive (PM) motility, sperm livability (SL) and abnormality (SA) percentages, sperm cell concentration (SCC), total sperm output/ejaculate (TSOP), damaged acrosome (DA) and response to osmotic test at osmolaity level of 50 mOsm/l for 30 min at 37oC (curled spermatozoa, CS). The obtained results revealed insignificant effect of MO on LBW of bucks. RT and percentages of MM, PM, SL, SA, SCC, TSO, DA and CS were improved (P<0.05) by MO at both levels. Semen pH value did not differ in G2 or G3 from that in G1, but pH value was higher (P<0.05) in G3 than in G2. SV increased (P<0.05) by about 27% only in G3 as compared to the G1, but did not differ from that in G2. RT and all physical semen characteristics were affected (P<0.05) by collection week, except semen pH value and DA percentage, which showed insignificantly inconsistent trend of changes throughout the collection period. RT and SA decreased (P<0.05), while SV, MM, PM, SCC and TSO increased (P<0.05) by advancing collection week. SV and CS showed inconsistent (P<0.05) trend of change during the collection weeks. The effect of interaction between treatment and collection week was not significant on RT and all semen characteristics studied. Rabbit does mated by bucks in G2 showed the best results reproductive performance, in terms of the highest kindling rate, total number of borns, total and live litter size at birth and viability rate at weaning, but the differences were not significant. Also, does mated by bucks in G2 showed the highest (P<0.05) proportion of females, litter size at weaning, and litter weight at birth and weaning. Rabbit does mated by bucks in G3 showed the highest (P<0.05) average bunny weight at birth. In conclusion, moringa oleifera extract at a level of 60 mg/h as oral administration for 21 days has significant value in improving the antioxidant status and could serve as a supportive treatment in the nutritional management to improve semen production of rabbit bucks, and consequently increasing reproductive performance of rabbit does mated by this semen.