Effect of Different Percentage of Dried Aloe Vera Leaf Powder on Quality of Boar Semen

Background: Aloe vera is a perennial herbaceous plant that resembles like a cactus that thrives in arid, warm climates. It has been known and used for centuries for its health, beauty, medicinal and skin care properties. Though it is used for treatment of variety of ailments and improves the body’s physiology but continued treatment of fresh extract Aloe vera lowered sperm concentration, motility andpercentage viability, resulting in higher sperm abnormalities. The study was carried out to investigate the effect of different percentage of dried Aloe vera leaf powder on sperm quality of crossbred boar (75% Yorkshire x 25% Zovawk) with GEPS extender. Methods: The study was conducted on three mature, Large White Yorkshire (LWY) and Zovawk (75% LWY and 25% Zovawk) crossbred boars. A total of 45 ejaculates, 15 from each boar were taken for the study. Each ejaculate was combined 1:1 with extender (GEPS) and divided into three aliquots, each of which was diluted with 0%, 5% and10% Aloe vera powder (PH 7.4) and stored for 48 hours at 17°C in a BOD incubator. At 0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after preservation, the stored semen sample was tested for progressive motile sperm by traditional method, live sperm by Eosin-Nigrosin staining, acrosome integrity by Giemsa staining andsperm membrane integrity by HOST test, total protein, sperm membrane protein, cholesterol, ALT and AST level. Result: The per cent sperm motility, live sperm, acrosomal integrity and plasma membrane integrity of boar spermatozoa was decreased while preserving the semen sample by using GEPS extenders along with 5% and 10% of dried Aloe vera leaf powder at 17°C for 48 hours. The level of total protein, ALT and AST in seminal plasma was increased while preserving the semen sample by using GEPS extenders along with 5% and 10% of dried Aloe vera leaf powder at 17°C for 48 hours. The level of sperm membrane protein and cholesterol of boar spermatozoa decreased while preserving the semen sample by using GEPS extenders along with 5% and 10% of dried Aloe vera leaf powder at 17°C for 48 hours. The total per cent of sperm abnormalities was increased while preserving the semen sample by using GEPS extenders along with 5% and 10% of dried Aloe vera leaf powder at 17°C for 48 hours. In conclusion, the dried Aloe vera leaf powder @ 5% and 10% level having detrimental effect on semen quality of crossbred (75% Large White Yorkshire and 25% Zovawk) boar while preserving with ZEPS extender at 17°C. The quality of boar semen was deteriorated chronologically at 0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours preservation with GEPS extender along with 5% and 10% of dried Aloe vera leaf powder at 17°C.