Calidad y fertilidad del semen de conejo diluido con jugo de sandía.

A study was designed to evaluate the suitability of watermelon juice as rabbit semen diluent and conception rate of does inseminated. Ripe watermelon (Citrus lanatus) was obtained and processed into juice using the standard procedure. A total of 10 rabbit male and 90 does, all crossbred New Zealand White x Chinchilla were used for the trial. Semen was collected from bucks using artificial vagina, and were diluted with watermelon juice at 1:0, 1:0.25, 1:0.67, 1:1.5, 1:4 semen to diluent and control 1:1 semen to normal saline and designated as T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6; respectively. Semen analysis was conducted on fresh semen and the various diluted semen immediately at 370C. Fifteen does each were randomly allotted to the different treatment in a completely randomized design and were inseminated with their respective treatment using the standard procedure. Conception rate, litter size and productivity index at birth were assessed at the end of the gestation period. Result obtained revealed that the range of values obtained for spermatozoa motility, structural membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity is within the accepted values for good quality semen. The conception rate of does inseminated with watermelon juice diluted semen at 1:1.5 was the optimal dilution rate with 75%. Litter size was significantly (p<0.05) highest (8.15kitts) at 1:0.25 dilution. The significantly (p<0.05) highest productivity index at birth was obtained in watermelon juice diluted rabbit semen at 1:0.25 and 1:1.5 inseminated does. In conclusion, it is revealed that watermelon juice is a potent semen diluent, it optimal dilution for rabbit semen is 1:1.5 and can be incorporated as extender constituent in the preservation of rabbit semen.