133 Late-Breaking: Physiological parameters and reproductive performance of New Zealand white rabbit bucks given Amaranthus cruentus (L) leaf extracts.

Abstract Rabbits are the most efficient producers among farm animals due to their prolific health and reproductive performance, which has lately been invaded by oxidative stress caused by excessive generation of reactive oxygen species affecting negatively on health and fertility through decreasing semen health and quality. Hence, the current study aimed at evaluating the effects of Amaranth (AM) leaf extracts on physiological parameters and reproductive performance New Zealand white rabbit (NZWR) bucks. The Amaranth mature leaves were harvested and chemically analysed using AOC, 2012 methods and HPLC_ESI_QTOF method. A total of sixteen NZWR bucks aged fourteen weeks were employed in the 70-day experimental trial. The rabbit bucks were randomly assigned to four treatment Amaranth (AM) leaf extracts at 0 mg/kg (AM0), 200 mg/kg (AM200), 300 mg/kg (AM300), and 400 mg/kg (AM400), weighing an average initial weight of 2.3 ± 0.47 kg. Blood samples were collected and analysed for haemo-biochemistry and reproductive hormones, while semen samples were collected and analysed for semen quality parameters and semen total phenolic (TPC) and antioxidant (TAC) contents. The collected data were further subjected to SAS, 2010 version 9.2.1. The means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test. The results showed that rabbit bucks dosed with AM200 had higher haemoglobin and haematocrit. The AM300 and AM400 dosing levels improved white blood cell count, while AM0, AM200 and AM400 improved segmented neutrophil. Platelet count improved in rabbit bucks dosed with AM200 dosing level. The AM300 dosing level had highest (p < 0.05) the total serum protein and AM0 and AMAM400 had highest (p < 0.05) albumin, whereas bucks dosed with AM300 dosing level had highest (p < 0.05) globulin level. The bucks dosed with AM200 and AM300 had the highest levels of blood TPC, whereas those dosed with AM200 had the highest levels of TAC. Both testosterone and oestrogen were highest (p < 0.05) in the bucks dosed with AM300 dosing level. The bucks dosed with AM0 level had highest (p < 0.05) total motility and rapid sperm cells, whereas those dosed with AM400 had highest (p < 0.05) progressive motility. Rabbit bucks dosed with AM300 had the highest rapid sperms cells, whereas those dosed with AM200 had highest (p < 0.05) sperm cells moving at a medium velocity and those that received AM300 had the highest (p < 0.05) sperm cells moving in a slow velocity. The bucks dosed with AM200 had highest semen TPC and those dosed with AM0 had highest (p < 0.05) semen TAC. Therefore, it is determined that AM leaf extracts can be used as a supplement rich in primary and secondary metabolites to improve rabbit health and reproductive performance.