Effects of Ocimum basilicum essential oil as a supplement in semen extender on canine sperm quality in cryoprevervation

Abstract

During the time of cryopreservation for canine sperm, a major problem is how to reduce the decrease of sperm quality due to the process of sperm oxidation. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Ocimum basilicum essential oil supplementation in semen extender on the quality of canine sperm during 12 days of cryoprevervation. The quality of sperm was assessed through evaluating sperm progressive motility, viability, integrity of the sperm membrane, and
lipid peroxidation. The studied results showed that sperm quality gradually decreased over time from day 1 to day 12. Supplementing Ocimum basilicum essential oil at a concentration of 20µg/ ml gave the most optimal effect on dog sperm quality according to the above evaluation criterias.
However, if adding essential oil at a concentration higher than 25µg/ml, it would have an effect on reducing sperm quality in cryopreservation. The results of this study demonstrated that essential oil (Ocimum basilicum) has an effect on sperm quality depending on the concentration of added essential oil in semen extenders and the concentration of 20µg/ml is the most optimal concentration to help improve dog sperm quality in cryopreservation.