Studies on the Quality and Antioxidant Status of Cryopreserved Pantja Buck Semen Supplemented with Aqueous Extract of Rosemary and Sericin in Tris Extender

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Rosemary shrub/plant and Sericin have been documented to show antioxdative properties, however their role in improving post thaw semen quality has not been well established. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Rosemary leaves extract and Sericin protein on post-thaw quality of Pantja buck semen. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In the first experiment, 32 ejaculates were collected from 4 sexually mature Pantja bucks and pooled to form 8 pooled samples. The pooled samples were evaluated for seminal attributes (sperm motility, viability, morphology, plasma membrane integrity, and acrosomal integrity), status of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) and lipid-peroxidation (malondialdehyde) of sperm plasma membrane before dilution. In the second experiment, pooled samples were divided into three equal aliquots as group-C (Control), group-R (Rosemary), and group-S (Sericin). Aliquots of group-C were diluted in glycerolated Egg Yolk Tris (EYT) extender, whereas aliquots of group-R and group-S were additionally supplemented with 4.0% v/v Rosemary leaves extract and 0.25% w/v Sericin, respectively, and again examined for the above parameters at the post-dilution, post-equilibration, and post-thawing stages of semen freezing. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.05) were observed in the values of seminal attributes, level of enzymatic antioxidants, and lipid per-oxidation between group C and R and between group C and S at the post-thaw stage of semen freezing. However Sericin was nonsignificantly better than Rosemary in improving post-thaw semen quality. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The results of the present study on limited semen samples in Pantja buck demonstrated that compared to the control group, both Rosemary aqueous extract (4%) and Sericin protein (0.25%) as an additive in TRIS extender, showed better cryoprotective effects resulting in improved post-thaw seminal characteristics.