Comparison various level ascorbic acid and lycopene additions in semen diluent enhanced sperm quality of Sapudi ram

Abstract

The primary cause of sperm quality decline during the freeze-thaw pathway is the peroxidation hazard caused by reactive oxygen species produced by the biological molecules of sperm. Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and lycopene are two potent antioxidants that operate to prevent oxidation processes. This study aimed to analyse the effects of ascorbic acid and lycopene on the motility, viability, abnormality and plasma membrane integrity of post-thawed Sapudi rams. Sperm samples were obtained and pooled from six sexually mature Sapudi rams, separated into ten equal proportions and diluted with Tris-egg yolk-glycerol (TEY) extender. Semen was supplemented with 0 (C0; L0), 1 (C1; L1), 2 (C2; L2), 3 (C3; L3) and 4 (C4; L4) mg/100 mL (1%–4%) diluent each of ascorbic acid and lycopene, respectively. Total sperm motility, viability, abnormalities and semen membrane plasma (%) were analysed after thawing. C3 and L3 extenders resulted in higher total motility (p < 0.05) compared to the other extenders, with all treatments higher than that of the control. The extender C3 (p < 0.05) exhibited the highest semen quality. Finally, the current findings show that C3 and L3 can increase the quality of post-thawed Sapudi ram spermatozoa.

Keywords

• Ascorbic acid
• Carotenoid
• Lycopene
• Tris-egg yolk-glycerol (TEY)
• Sapudi ram
• Vitamin C