Effect of Green Tea on Weight Gain and Semen Quality of Rabbit Males

Abstract

The goal of the current study was to evaluate the action of the green tea plant (Camellia sinensis, L) on male rabbit reproduction and some non-reproductive indexes. Male rabbits were fed either a standard diet (control group) or a diet enriched with green tea powder (experimental groups; E): 5 g (E1) or 20 g (E2) per 100 kg of the milled complete feed mixture. Weight gain, sperm concentration, total and progressive motility, as well as haematological, and biochemical parameters and changes in testicular tissue histomorphology were evaluated. Feeding with green tea, at both tested concentrations, decreased weight gain per week and the total average weight gain compared to the control group (p p p p p > 0.05). These observations suggest that green tea in the diet may have an adverse effect on rabbit growth and sperm quality, but their effect may be potentially dose-dependent.

Keywords

• rabbit male
• sperm concentration and motility
• testicular histology
• weight gain