BLACK SEED (Nigella sativa) DEMONSTATES PROPHYLACTIC AND THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES, SPERM CHARACTERISTICS AND TESTICULAR MORPHOMETRIC OF HEAT-STRESSED RABBIT BUCKS
The reproductive hormones, sperm characteristics and testicular morphometric was evaluated in heat-stressed rabbit bucks fed Nigella sativa (NS) supplemented diet. Thirty growing rabbit bucks were assigned to five treatments of six rabbits each in a Completely Randomized Design. The five treatments were designated as T1-Positive control (PC), T2-Heat stress (HS), T3- rabbits fed NS before (HSbNS), T4-during (HSdNS) and T5- after (HSaNS) HS inducement. At the 14th week of the experiment, Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Testosterone was evaluated. Rabbits were humanely sacrificed, the testes, epididymis were weighed and the semen was analyzed for sperm count. Luteinizing Hormone (LH), testosterone were significantly (p<0.05) elevated at NS supplemented treatments (T3, T4 and T5) when compared to positive control (PC) and negative control (HS/-Control). The rabbit bucks on HS (-Control) had significantly low (p<0.05) concentration for these hormones compared to every other treatments. Nigella sativa supplemented treatments had significantly (p<0.05) higher testicular and epidiymal weights than T1 and T2. Similarly, Significant (p<0.05) increase was observed for at the NS supplemented treatments when compared to the controls (T1 and T2). Nigella sativa supplementation in heat-stressed rabbit’s bucks’ diet enhanced reproductive hormone (LH, testosterone) concentration, testicular and epididymal weight. Sperm count and in heat-stressed rabbit bucks were improved by diet supplemented with Nigella sativa. Nigella sativa demonstrates a prophylactic and therapeutic effect on reproductive hormones, testicular morphometric and sperm parameters in heat-stressed rabbit bucks.
Keywords: Heat-stress, sperm, testosterone, testes, epididymis, rabbits
