Improving sperm characteristics during in vitro storage of rooster's semen by supplementing semen diluent with tomato juice

Abstract EN

The goal of this experiment was to determine the effects of tomato juice inclusion in semen diluent on sperm characteristics during in vitro storage of roosters' semen.

Sixty white layer roosters were used in this study.

They were divided into six treatments; undiluted control, fresh semen (Cl); diluted control (C2); and treatments Tl, T2, T3 and T4 using diluted semen with inclusion of 1, 3, 5 and 7 ml of tomato juice per 100 ml of diluent, respectively.

Mass activity, individual motility, dead spermatozoa, abnormal spermatozoa and acrosomal abnormalities percentages were determined twice a week for 8 wks period after in vitro storage time of 0, 24, 48 and 72 hr of roosters' semen in refrigerator.

Results showed that adding tomato juice up to 7 ml per 100 ml of semen diluent significantly (P<0.05) increased mass activity and individual motility percentages and decreased dead spermatozoa, abnormal spermatozoa and acrosomal abnormalities percentages at all storage times when compared with control.

No significant changes were observed in all parameters and storage times when tomato juice was added to the diluent up to 5 ml per 100 ml of diluent (Tl, T2 and T3).

Increasing the addition level of tomato juice from 5 to 7 ml per 100 ml to the diluent ( T4) significantly led to additional improvement in aU parameters studied in vitro storage times.

Improvement sperm characteristics during storage of roosters' semen due to tomato juice addition to the diluent support published concepts about the positive effects of tomato juice as an antioxidant-rich product.