EFFECTS OF DIETARY BEE POLLEN AND MANNAN OLIGOSACCHARIDE ON SEMEN QUALITY IN RABBITS UNDER EGYPTIAN SUMMER CONDITIONS | ||
| Egyptian Poultry Science Journal | ||
| Article 10, Volume 36, Issue 4, December 2016, Pages 973-984 PDF (545.07 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/epsj.2016.168816 | ||
| Author | ||
| M. M. Gebril | ||
| Dep. of Anim. and Fish Prod., Facu. of Agric. (Saba Basha), Univ. of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The objectives of the present study were to verify the effect of using bee pollen and mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) in the feed mixture on semen quality and reduce the effect of lipid peroxidation of V-line rabbit buck semen during Egyptian hot summer season. A total number of 16 mature V line (VL) rabbit bucks 7-8 months-old of proven fertility with an average initial live body weight of 3.52±0.32 kg were classified into four homogeneous treatment groups of 4 bucks. Bucks were kept under a continuous 16 h light/8 h dark photoperiod and the ambient temperature ranged from 27.3 to 30.3 °C and relative humidity ranged from 72.8 to 75.4%. The estimated temperature-humidity index value indicated that during the experimental period rabbit bucks were exposed to severe heat stress. Four experimental diets were formulated to represent four dietary treatments. Bucks in the first treatment group were given the basal diet without supplementation and served as a control group, the second group was given 0.5 % MOS in their diet, while the third and fourth groups included bucks with supplementation of 0.1 and 0.2 % bee pollen in their diets, respectively. Results show that addition of 0.2 % bee pollen resulted insignificant decrease in semen hydrogen ion concentration (pH) as compared with the control and the other experimental feed additives. Addition of MOS, 0.1 and 0.2 % bee pollen significantly increased individual sperm motility, beside, these feed additives numerically increased ejaculate volume and sperm concentration as compared with the control group. Administration of 0.2 % bee pollen insignificantly increased live sperm percentage and mass activity by 13.2 and 27.4 %, respectively. Numerical increase in packed sperm volume (PSV) percentage amounted to 9.8 % due to administration of 0.2 % bee pollen. On the other hand, it was observed that MOS and bee pollen improved testosterone concentration and acrosome action percentage in comparison with the control group. Numerical decrease in seminal plasma MDA concentration, with significant increase in seminal plasma TAC due to MOS and bee pollen supplementation in comparison with the control group. In conclusion, results indicated that MOS and bee pollen improved semen quality and antioxidant status of rabbit bucks during Egyptian summer season. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Rabbits; Mannan oligosaccharide; Bee pollen; Semen quality; Antioxidant status | ||
|
Statistics Article View: 198 PDF Download: 418 |
||
