IMPACT OF LYCOPENE OR FOLIC ACID TREATMENT ON SEMEN QUALITY, BLOOD CONSTITUENTS AND FERTILITY OF RABBIT BUCKS

Effect of lycopene or folic acid supplementation in drinking water as enhancing factors on reproductive performance of NWZ rabbit bucks was investigated in this study. Total of 30 sexually adult bucks were homogeneously divided into 3 experimental groups (10 bucks/each). Bucks in the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd group daily received drinking water supplemented with 0, 500 mg lycopene and 500 mg folic acid/l, respectively, for 4 weeks as a treatment period. Semen was collected twice/week for another six consecutive weeks. Blood constituents and semen quality were evaluated. At the end of the semen collection period, 90 NWZ does were divided into 6 groups (15/each). The 1^st three groups were naturally mated with bucks treated with 0, lycopene or folic acid, while other three groups were artificially mated with pooled semen of each treated buck group. Results showed that lycopene or folic acid insignificantly increased final body weight and increased (P<0.05) water intake of bucks during treatment period. At the end of treatment period, both treatments increased (P<0.05) hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit value, count of red blood cells and platelets, serum total proteins, albumin, globulin, glucose and high density lipoproteins concentrations, while decreased (P<0.05) white blood cells count, and concentration of serum urea, creatinine, total lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol and low density lipoproteins concentrations. Concentrations of total antioxidant and testosterone increased (P<0.05), while malondialdehyde concentration decreased (P<0.05) in treatment groups as compared to control. Both treatments improved (P<0.05) volume, quality and total sperm output, initial semen fructose concentration, conception and kindling rates, and litter size at birth of NZW does naturally or artificially mated by treated bucks, while decreased (P<0.05) semen pH value. Although both treatments had superiority in comparing with control, most blood constituents and semen traits were better (P<0.05) for lycopene than folic acid treatment. In conclusion, treatment of rabbit bucks with lycopene at a level of 500 mg/l drinking water or as oral administration of 105 mg/buck for 4 weeks prior to natural mating or semen collection could be useful as a strong antioxidant and could have interesting applications in rabbit farms.