Effect of ascorbic acid on chicken semen quality during liquid storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of ascorbic acid on Ross-308 chicken sperm quality. The semen was collected from eight teen Ross-308 broiler breeder roosters and mixed together. The mixed semen was diluted with modified Ringer's solution and supplemented with five treatment levels (0%, 0. 5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) of ascorbic acid (w/v). Treatments were evaluated for sperm motility, viability, and morphological defect rates at 0, 3, 6, 10, and 24 h after storage at 4°C. At 0, 3, and 6 of storage, no significant differences were observed between treatments with ascorbic acid and controls for all spermatozoa quality parameters. At 10 h, sperm viability in treatment added with 1% ascorbic acid was significantly higher than control and other treatments. In this time, there were not significant differences among treatments with 0%, 0. 5%, 2%, and 3% ascorbic acid. At 24 h, sperm motility in treatment with 1% ascorbic acid and sperm viability in treatments contain 1% and 2% ascorbic acid were higher than controls and other treatments. In this period, morphological defect percent of spermatozoa in treatment with 1% ascorbic acid was significantly lower than control and other treatment groups. Also, at 24 h, sperm morphological defect percent in treatment added with 3% ascorbic acid was significantly higher than that in control and other treatments. © 2011 Springer-Verlag London Limited.