Seminal Morphology and Organ Morphometrics of Rabbit Bucks Fed Piliostigma thonningii Essential Oil Supplemented Diet

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate whether the inclusive supplementation of Piliostigma thonningii essential oil in rabbit diet was beneficial to their seminal morphometrics. Forty-five clinically healthy weaned male Dutch rabbits of about five weeks of age were used for the experiment. The rabbits were divided into three treatment groups, with fifteen rabbits per group and balanced for their body weight such that rabbits in each group had similar average initial BW of 0.27 kg. The experimental rabbits were administered P. thonningii essential oil at 0, 2 and 4 ml/kg for treatments T1, T2 and T3, respectively for 12 weeks. The results showed that left testis weight increased with increasing levels of P. thonningii essential oil supplementation. The normal cells, right testis weight and right and left testis volume were higher in T2 and T3 treatments than in T1. Right and left testis lengths were higher in T3 treatment than T1, with T2 being intermediate between T1 and T3. Mid-piece droplet, coiled tail, detached head, free tail, bent tail, right and left epididymis volume, head weight and length, body weight and length, weight and tail length and weight were not affected by treatments. It is concluded that P. thonningii essential oil supplementation improved some organ morphometrics without necessarily affecting sperm morphology in the experimental rabbit bucks.