The effect of water clover (Marsilea crenata) extract addition in egg yolk and skim milk extender on frozen goat semen quality

Abstract

Abstract Frozen semen has of longer storage time, but the effect of cold shock during processing reduces the semen quality. Antioxidants in water clover extract are expected to be able to maintain the quality of frozen semen. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of addition of water clover extract (WCE) in the base semen dilution (egg yolk-skim milk) to the quality of post-thawing semen. The material used in this study was goat semen. There were four treatments: T0 as control (base dilution + 0% WCE), T1 (base dilution +1% WCE), T2 (base dilution +3% WCE), and T3 (base dilution +5% WCE), with ten replications each.. This study used a randomized completed design, ANOVA, and continued with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. The results showed that the addition of water clover extract to egg yolk skim extender had a significant effect (P <0.05) on the motility of individual spermatozoa, viability and membrane integrity, but didn’t have a significant effect (P> 0.05) on sperm abnormalities. The research concludes that the addition of 3% water clover extract in egg yolk skim milk extender was the best concentration to maintain the quality of frozen goat semen.