Use of aqueous extract of noni in extender for sheep semen freezing

ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the action of aqueous extract of noni in an extender for sheep semen freezing. Treatments differed in inclusion of aqueous extract of noni in the extender: T1 ˗ no addition; T2 ˗ 24µg/mL; T3 ˗ 72µg/mL; and T4 ˗ 120µg/mL. Ejaculates were collected, diluted in the four treatments, and frozen. After thawing, the semen was subjected to a thermoresistance test and evaluated for subjective motility, vigor, membrane integrity assessment by hypo-osmotic swelling test, live-dead assay, computer-assisted sperm analysis and the status of sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. Data were subjected to ANOVA, and then to Student Newman Keuls’s test at 5% significance level. In the thermoresistance test after two hours of incubation, motility in T4 (120µg/mL) was lower than in the other treatments, with no differences in the HoS test in either diluted semen or in the semen evaluated immediately post-thawing, while for the other times, treatments showed similar responses. Regarding the motility parameters, a difference was observed for progressive motility, curvilinear velocity, average path velocity, and amplitude of lateral head displacement. As to the sperm capacitation status, a difference was observed between treatments for the sperm capacitated with intact acrosome.