EFFECT OF HONEY BEES SUPPLEMENTATION FOR SEMEN EXTENDER ON CRYOPRESERVATION, BACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND FERTILITY TRAITS OF RABBITS

Abstract

Twenty V-line male rabbits, ten months age and 80 multiparous does aged 12 months were used for the present study. Three experiments were carried out. First experiment was planned to use honey bee as a component in sperm preservation extender at incubation (37°C) for up to 6 hours or refrigeration condition (4-6°C) for up to 72 hours. Second experiment was done to study effect of different levels of honey bee on total bacterial count, enterobacteriaceas count, Staph. aureus. Third experiment was designed for studying fertility traits for does artificially inseminated by diluted pooled semen with antibiotics (control) and the best level of honey bees. Results showed that diluted V-line rabbits semen with 1, 3, or 5 ml honey bee/100ml extender improved significantly (P≤0.05) semen quality increased in percentages of advanced sperm motility and decreased percentages of dead spermatozoa, sperm abnormalities and acrosomal damages during cryopreservation at (4-6°C) for up to 72 hours or incubation at 37°C for up to 6 hours. Addition of different levels of honey bee to rabbits semen extender resulted in a gradually and significantly decrease (P≤0.05) in overall mean of MAD concentration. Total anti-oxidant enzymes activity of rabbit semen extender was increased by increasing honey bee level and this effect was significant (P≤0.05), regardless the incubation or storage time. Moreover, the results revealed that the highest honey bee levels had the highest total anti-oxidant capacity value, which was significant (P≤0.05) compared to the other levels. Honey bee at different concentrations, generally, had a broad action against total bacterial count of V-line rabbit semen, during chilled storage at 4-6°C or incubation at 37°C.