Effect of graded levels of soapnut () shell powder on reproductive performance in broiler breeders

• Main Authors: S. K. Chaudhary, A. B. Mandal, R. Bhar, M. Gopi, A. Kannan, S. E. Jadhav, J. J. Rokade
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies 2019-01-01
• Series: Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• Subjects: Soapnut; Sapindus; Saponin; Fertility; Hatchability; Broiler Breeders
• Online Access: http://www.ajas.info/upload/pdf/ajas-18-0353.pdf

Objective This study investigated the effects of soapnut (Sapindus mukorossi) shell powder (SSP) on serum hormone level, egg quality, semen characteristics and reproductive performance of broiler breeders fed with a maize-soybean meal based diet. Methods Ninety six female and twenty four male CARIBRO-VISHAL broiler breeders, 38-week old, were individually caged and randomly allocated to four treatment groups (24 female breeders/treatment and 6 male breeders/treatment): an un-supplemented control (T1) and three groups with 0.0176% SSP (group T2), 0.026% SSP (group T3) and 0.0528% SSP (group T4), to have supplementary saponin at 0, 50, 75, and 150 ppm, respectively, for 42 days. Results The results indicated that serum (p<0.001) and seminal plasma (p<0.05) testosterone level, semen volume (p<0.001), mass motility (p<0.001), and live spermatozoa count (p<0.001) was increased in groups T3 and T4 compared to T2 and control groups. Compared with control group, total sperm count was increased (p<0.001) and dead spermatozoa count was decreased (p<0.001) in SSP supplemented groups. Supplementation of SSP did not affected the quality of egg lay. Compared with control group, fertility (p<0.01) and hatchability (total eggs set and fertile eggs set) (p<0.001) were significantly improved in SSP supplemented groups with the highest improvement in T3 treatment group. Embryonic death was decreased (p< 0.001) in SSP supplemented groups compared to control; lowest embryonic death was recorded in T3 treatment group. Conclusion Thus, it was concluded that dietary supplementation of 0.026% SSP (saponin equivalent 75 ppm) improved the reproductive performance of broiler breeders.