Effect of the addition of soursop juice (Annona muricata L., 1753) to egg yolk citrate extender on the quality of bull semen

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of the addition of soursop (Annona muricata L., 1753) juice to the citrate-egg yolk extender (EYC) on the quality of cryopreserved bull semen. After pre-evaluation, the semen was distributed in five extenders T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 containing respectively 0% soursop juice (SJ) (T1), 25% SJ (T2), 50% SJ (T3), 75% SJ (T4), 100% SJ (T5) and microscopic evaluation was performed daily to assess plasma membrane integrity (PMI), progressive motility of spermatozoa (MP) and sperm pH until all sperm were dead. The results indicate a significant increase in spermatozoa PMI and MP (p<0.05) in the case of treatment with 50% SJ (T3). Spermatozoa showed a motility of 50.78% 9 days later in the citrate-egg yolk extender containing 50% SJ (T3), whereas at day 9, spermatozoa in the other extenders had a progressive motility of less than 50%. Similar results were obtained for PMI with 50.78% of spermatozoa having an intact plasma membrane 9 days later in the citrate-egg yolk extender containing 50% SJ whereas the PMI of cells in the other stents was less than 50%. However, the pH of the extender containing 50% SJ was closest to 7 during the experimental period. The results of this experiment suggest that the addition of 50% soursop juice (T3) to the citrate-egg yolk extender could be adopted as an acceptable alternative to traditional egg yolk-based extenders for the cryopreservation of bull semen.