Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Proanthocyanidin on Semen Quality, Antioxidant Status, and Hormonal Profile in Ageing Broiler Breeder Male
Keywords:
proanthocyanidin, oral administration, semen quality, antioxidant status, breedersAbstract
Fertility in breeder flocks directly affects the number of hatching eggs available for commercial use. However, in broiler breeder males, semen quality declines significantly with age, especially after 50 weeks. The current study was conducted at the poultry facility of the Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture, Al-Qasim Green University, from November 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024, spanning 13 weeks. The objective was to evaluate the impact of daily proanthocyanidin supplementation on semen quality characteristics of broiler breeder roosters. A total of twenty roosters, aged 54 weeks, were used in this study. The birds were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, each consisting of five replicates with one rooster per replicate. The experimental treatments were as follows: a control group without supplementation, and three experimental groups receiving 20, 30, and 40 mg/day of proanthocyanidin, respectively. The findings demonstrated that proanthocyanidin supplementation positively influenced the semen quality of roosters, particularly at higher doses. Improvements were most evident during the later stages of the experiment, suggesting that continuous supplementation has cumulative benefits. Roosters receiving 20 and 30 mg/day exhibited superior semen motility, sperm concentration, overall semen quality, antioxidant enzyme and testosterone concentration compared to both the control and the 40 mg/day group. These results indicate a dose-dependent effect of proanthocyanidin, with the most pronounced enhancement observed at the highest supplementation level. In conclusion, the study provides strong evidence that dietary oral administration of proanthocyanidin can improve reproductive efficiency in broiler breeder roosters by enhancing semen quality traits.
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