COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SPERM QUALITY OF MALE RABBITS OF DIFFERENT BREEDS USING DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED DILUENTS

Abstract

The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of the quality of sperm of male rabbits of different breeds and the effectiveness of the use of domestic and

imported diluents in artificial insemination technology. The relevance of the work is due to the limited possibilities of long-term storage of rabbit sperm at refrigeration

temperatures and the need to increase reproductive efficiency in industrial rabbit breeding. The aim of the study was to evaluate the biological, morphological and

functional indicators of sperm of males of the Gray Giant, Californian and New Zealand White breeds, as well as to determine the effect of various diluents on the

preservation of sperm viability and fertilizing ability in laboratory and production conditions. The study was conducted on 40 males aged 4 to 18 months using

standard spermiological methods. The ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and motility, sperm pH, the proportion of pathological forms, and the integrity of the

acrosome were determined by the differential staining method. It was established that the largest volume of ejaculate and the highest indices of acrosome integrity are

characteristic of males of the Gray Giant breed. No significant interbreed differences were found in sperm concentration, motility, and pH. It was shown that

the use of both domestic glucose-citrate and imported Galap diluents ensures the preservation of sperm activity for up to 72 hours. In the first 36–48 hours of storage,

sperm motility and viability indices were somewhat higher when using the domestic diluent, especially in males of the Gray Giant breed. The level of pathological forms

of sperm in all studied groups did not exceed the permissible regulatory values. The results obtained indicate the feasibility of using domestic diluents as an effective and economically justified alternative to imported ones in the practice of artificial insemination of rabbits. Prospects for further research are to optimize the

composition of domestic sperm extenders by including antioxidants, energy substrates and membrane-stabilizing components in order to extend the shelf life of

sperm. It is advisable to conduct an in-depth study of molecular and biochemical markers of the functional fullness of sperm, in particular the state of the plasma

membrane, mitochondrial activity and DNA fragmentation. The results obtained can be used to improve artificial insemination technology and increase reproductive efficiency in industrial rabbit breeding.