Effects of apple and orange juices on quality of refrigerated goat semen

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of apple and orange juices on quality of refrigerated spermatozoa of goat bucks. Semen samples from WAD goat bucks were diluted with Tris-egg yolk extenders each supplemented with apple and orange juices at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10/100 ml of diluents. The diluted semen samples were assessed for sperm viability and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration after in vitro storage for 240 hours at 5oC. The ability to maintain sperm motility was higher in the extenders with 7.5% orange juice followed by 10% apple juice compared to other treatments (P<0.05). The extenders supplemented with 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% apple juice, and 5% orange juice had higher intact acrosome compared to other treatments and the control (P<0.05). The 10% orange juice had higher percentage membrane integrity compared to other treatments. Consistent and reduced (P<0.05) MDA levels were observed in the extenders supplemented with fruit juices and lower MDA was observed in the extenders supplemented with 10% apple juice compared to other treatments and the control (P<0.05). The findings reveal that additions of the fruit juices to semen extenders to maintain the viability of refrigerated spermatozoa were best at concentrations of 10 ml/100 ml of apple juice and 7.5 ml/100 ml of orange juice.

Keywords

• antioxidants
• bucks
• fruit juice
• liquid storage
• sperm viability