Abstract
Background: Previous studies show that α-lipoic acid and selenium supplements independently enhance semen quality. This study evaluated their combined and individual effects on avian semen quality. Methods: Seventeen (17) sexually mature Banaba Roosters at 5-8 months and average weight of 1.68 kg, were used to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of antioxidants, α-lipoic acid and selenium, on semen quality that were randomly assigned to four groups: Control (no antioxidant supplement), Treatment 1 or T1 (100 mg of α-lipoic acid), Treatment 2 or T2 (100 μg of selenium-enriched yeast), and Treatment 3 or T3 (combination of both 100 mg α-lipoic acid and 100 μg commercial selenium-enriched yeast). Semen collected from each rooster was pooled and assessed for volume, color, and consistency. Samples were diluted with Lactated Ringer’s Solution (LRS), and those with ≥70% initial sperm motility were further processed and were evaluated for %motility and %morphology using Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA), while viability was assessed at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours using staining after storage at 4–9°C. Results: Semen from T1, T2, and T3 groups had significantly better sperm motility after 12 hours (p=0.05). Treatments shown significant effects of the sperm characteristics except on sperm cell morphology. Conclusion: Dietary α-lipoic acid and selenium yeast significantly enhance sperm quality and storage longevity in Banaba cockerels, improving their suitability for artificial insemination and cryopreservation.
Keywords
α-lipoic acid, Selenium, Semen quality, Banaba native chicken