The Effects of Discarded Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) Seed Meal Based Diets on Semen Traits, Testicular Morphometry and Histomorphology of Rabbit Bucks
The Effects of Discarded Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) Seed Meal Based Diets on Semen Traits, Testicular Morphometry and Histomorphology of Rabbit Bucks
Luke Chukwudi Ali*, Nnanna Ephraim Ikeh, Bright Chigozie Amaefule, Amarachi Linda Obinna, Ndubuisi Samuel Machebe
ABSTRACT
A 10-weeks study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary intake of discarded cocoa seed meal (DCSM) on reproductive characteristics of rabbit bucks. A total of 36 mixed-bred rabbit bucks of 20 weeks old and having a mean weight of 1384.34 ± 283.34g were randomly assigned to 4 treatment (T) groups of 9 rabbit bucks each replicated 3 times using a one-way analysis of variance in a completely randomized design (CRD). Water and feed were made available ad-libitum to the bucks. Diets containing 0, 15, 30 and 45% DCSM were compounded and fed to bucks in T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Prior to semen collection, rabbit bucks were trained three times per week for semen collection with an artificial vagina (AV). At the end of the 10 weeks, semen collection and evaluation were carried out. Thirty six (36) rabbit bucks were slaughtered and testes collected and dissected for testicular morphometry and histomorphology evaluation. Semen colour showed milky white in all groups although T4 appeared creamy white. There were significant (P<0.01) differences among treatment groups of rabbits in all the semen traits except in semen volume. Semen pH showed significant (P<0.01) variations with semen of bucks in T4 having the highest value (8.67). Sperm motility, sperm concentration, live and normal sperms in decreased with an increase in dietary DCSM whereas non-motile, dead and abnormal sperms increased with an increase in dietary DCSM. Testicular morphometric measurements and histomorphological evaluations were similar in all treatments (P>0.05). This investigation depicts that DCSM inclusion above 15% affected semen quality negatively even though results on testicular morphometric traits and histology appeared non-significant.
Keywords | Rabbit bucks, Semen traits, Sperm characters, Testicular morphometry, Histomorphology, Discarded cocoa seed meal
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