INFLUENCE OF BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE IN THREE EXTENDERS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS PARAMETERS OF CHILLED SEMEN OF RED SOKOTO BUCKS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in tris-coconut water (TCW), tris egg-yolk (TEY), and citrate egg-yolk (CEY) on oxidative stress of chilled red Sokoto bucks’ semen. Semen was collected from 10 bucks weekly using a battery-operated electro-ejaculator. Ten ejaculates collected once weekly from 10 bucks were pooled together and analyzed. This was repeated for 8 weeks. The semen was extended with TEY, CEY, and TCW each containing BHT at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mM/mL BHT concentrations, and transferred into a refrigerator for storage at 4 oC. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. After 72 hours, semen extended in CEY, and the 1.0 mM/mL BHT group had the lowest MDA concentration (3.57 ± 0.16 nMol/mL). The SOD activity in semen extended with CEY was lowest in the 2.0 mM/mL BHT group. Semen extended in TEY with 0.5 mM/mL BHT group had the lowest activity of SOD after 72hrs. MDA profile for semen extended in TCW with the addition of 0.5 mM/mL BHT after 72 hours was 2.66 ± 0.25 nMol/mL, which was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than values recorded in other groups except the 1.0 mM/mL BHT group. From this study, Red Sokoto bucks’ semen can be extended in CEY + 1.0 mM/mL BHT, TEY + 1.0 mM/ml BHT and TCW + 0.5mM/ml BHT and chilled for 72 hours for reduced MDA concentrations and maintained SOD activity to keep buck semen under cold storage.