Effect of dietary supplementation with different levels of rocket salad (Eruca sativa) seeds powder on semen traits of Hy – line laying breeder roosters subjected to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding different levels of rocket salad seeds powder to the diet on semen traits of roosters subjected to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide. A total of 60 Hy – line laying breeder roosters 57 weeks old were used in this study. Roosters were randomly distributed on 5 treatments with 3 replicates each. Each replicate constituted of 4 roosters (12 roosters for each treatment). Experimental treatments were as following: T1: Males fed control diet and normal water, T2: Males fed diet supplemented with 3 gm rocket salad powder / kg of diet + 0.25 ml hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) / litter of water, T3: Males fed diet supplemented with 3 gm rocket salad powder / kg of diet + 0.5 ml hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) / litter of water, T4: Males fed diet supplemented with 3 gm rocket salad powder / kg of diet + 1 ml hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) / litter of water, and T5: Males fed control diet and drink water supplemented with 1 ml hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) / litter of water. Males were treated with hydrogen peroxide (6%) and rocket salad for 12 weeks starting from 59 week of male ages. Hydrogen peroxide was added to the water of T2, T3, T4, and T5 groups twice a day. Semen traits involved in this study were semen volume, mass activity and individual motility of spermatozoa, spermatozoa concentration, spermatocrit, percentages of dead and abnormal spermatozoa. Results revealed that water supplementation with hydrogen peroxide without adding rocket salad powder to the diet of roosters (T5) resulted in significant deterioration as regards all semen traits included in this study as compared with T1. However, supplementing the diet of roosters subjected to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide with rocket salad seeds powder (T2, T3, and T4) resulted in significant improvement concerning all semen traits involved in this experiment in comparison with T5 group. In conclusion, adding rocket salad powder to the ration of roosters could limit to a considerable extent the damages on semen quality that originate from oxidative stress.