Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences

Abstract:
This study assessed the testicular and epididymal morphometry of one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Maiduguri Nigeria, as well as the characteristics of their epididymal spermatozoa extended with Oviplus^® and coconut milk based extenders. The study involved samples collected from 50 slaughtered camels (100 epididymides) in Maiduguri central abattoir. Retrograde flushing technique was used to harvest the semen using two different extenders (Oviplus^® and coconut milk). The flushed samples were analyzed for progressive motility, livability and concentration. Samples from both extenders were divided into two aliquots; one aliquot was stored in a refrigerator at 4°Ϲ and evaluated each day for 72 hours, the other aliquot was cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen (-196°Ϲ) and evaluated after 24 hours. The left and right testicular and epididymal morphometry were not significantly (p > 0.05) different in the camels sampled. The progressive motility in samples extended with Oviplus^® was 67.9 ± 21.6%, 47.6 ± 22.7%, 27.1 ± 17.0% and 7.7 ± 9.4 % at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours of chilling, respectively; while in coconut milk, the motilities were 67.0 ± 22.6%, 49.6 ± 24.5%, 31.5 ± 18.8% and 13.2 ± 11.9% at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours of chilling, respectively. Similarly, the percentage livability in Oviplus^® was 79.3 ± 18.8%, 65.3 ± 8%, 42.6 ± 18.4% and 16.7 ± 14.9% at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours, respectively; while in coconut milk, the livability was 78.2 ± 19.1%, 64.2 ± 20.8%, 44.4 ± 19.6% and 22.4 ± 18.5% at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the post-thaw motility and livability between cryopreserved samples extended with coconut milk and those extended with Oviplus^®. Progressive motility in chilled and cryopreserved epididymal spermatozoa of the camels sampled can be preserved for 24 hours in coconut milk as well as in the commercially available Oviplus^®.

Keywords: Camel; Coconut milk, Epididymal semen, Retrograde flush, Oviplus^®, Maiduguri Nigeria.

How to cite this article:
Ali A, Ali RI, Asuku SO, Bamanga MU, Abba A, Mustapha A, Waziri MA and Bukar MM (2023) Testicular and epididymal morphometry of one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Maiduguri Nigeria, and characteristics of their chilled and frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa extended with Oviplus^® and coconut milk. Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences, 13(1): 101 – 108

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Testicular and epididymal morphometry of one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Maiduguri Nigeria, and characteristics of their chilled and frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa extended with Oviplus^® and coconut milk

Adamu Ali*¹, Rahmatu I. Ali², Suleiman O. Asuku², Mustapha U. Bamanga³, Abdulhamid Abba³, Abdul-Rahman Mustapha.², Mohammed A. Waziri², and Muhammad M. Bukar^2
1Senator Ali Modu Sherif Veterinary Hospital, Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries Development, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. ²Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. ³University of Maiduguri Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Borno State, Nigeria.