Oral glucose supplementation improved semen quality and constituents of seminal and blood plasma of NZW buck rabbits in the subtropics

Abstract:

The effect of different levels of oral glucose supplementation on reproductive performance of New Zealand white buck rabbits was studied on 12 bucks aged 6–7 months, randomly divided among four groups from February to September. The treatments consisted of supplementing drinking water with 0 (control), 2.5, 5, and 10 g of glucose/L, respectively. Semen was collected twice weekly from April through September. Three samples of blood and seminal plasma were collected for each treatment during August. Semen quality, biochemical constituents of seminal and blood plasma, and testosterone were studied. Oral glucose supplementation of 5 or 10 g/L of drinking water significantly increased semen volume, sperm motility, sperm concentration, live sperm percentage, total sperm output, and total live sperm output and significantly decreased abnormal sperm percentage as compared to the control group. Addition of glucose at 5 g/L water significantly increased blood plasma total protein, albumin, glucose, alanine aminotransferase, and testosterone hormone compared to the control group.

Keywords::

• rabbit
• glucose
• semen quality
• seminal and blood plasma