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Semen characteristics and seminal plasma of Nigerian indegenous cocks fed diet with graded levels of tumeric (<i>Cucurma longa</i>)
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate Semen characteristics and seminal plasma of Nigerian indigenous chicken (cock) fed diet with graded levels of Turmeric Rhizome Powder (TRP). One hundred and twenty (120) adult local breeding cocks were divided into 4 treatment groups with 30 birds per group; each group was further divided into 3 replicates of 10 birds per replicate. The birds in the experimental groups designated as T1, T2, T3, and T4 were fed with TRP supplemented diet at various inclusion levels of, 0.0%, 0.25%, 0.50 %, and 0.75% respectively for 8 weeks. Semen samples were collected using abdominal massage technique from all the experimental groups and analyzed. Parameters measured were; semen volume, colour, consistency, mass motility sperm cell viability (live proportion), sperm concentration, abnormal sperm proportion, and sperm morphology, While the Seminal plasma measured consisted of protein, fructose, sorbitol, citric acid, inocitol, glycerol, phosphoryl choline, ergothioneine, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride. From the results obtained, the group fed with 0.5 % inclusion had the highest semen volume (0.80 ± 0.06 ml) and were significantly (p < 0.05) better than the mean volume of 0.49±0.08 ml in the group without Turmeric powder. The semen consistency, motility, total number of viable spermatozoa, the total number of sperm cell/ejaculate, significantly (p < 0.05) improved in the TRP supplemented group and better than the control group. Sperm cell concentration increased from 3.35 ± 0.07 in the control group to the range 4.05 ± 0.18 – 4.75 ± 0.22×106/cell in the TRP groups. The TRP did not significantly (p > 0.05) affect the spermatozoa morphology in all the treatment groups. To improve their reproductive performance and semen characteristics using TRP, the inclusion is best at 0.25 and 0.5 %.
Keywords: Semen, seminal plasma, tumeric, cocks
