# The Effect of Turnera diffusa Leaf Supplementation in Diet on the Qualitative and Quantitative Characteristics of Boar Semen

## TL;DR

This study shows that adding Turnera diffusa leaf extract to boar diets improves semen quality and sperm viability during storage.

## Contribution

The novel finding is that Turnera diffusa supplementation positively affects boar semen quality and sperm survival during storage.

## Key findings

- Turnera diffusa supplementation significantly improved sperm viability after 24, 48, and 72 hours of storage.
- The supplement had a positive effect on ejaculate volume and sperm survival rates.
- The study demonstrates the potential of Turnera diffusa as a natural supplement to enhance boar semen quality.

## Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Turnera diffusa supplementation on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of semen in Duroc boars (n = 4). The experiment was divided into two periods, each corresponding to the duration of one spermatogenic cycle: a control period (40 days) (CP) and an experimental period (40 days) (EP). Nutrition and environmental conditions were kept constant throughout both periods. During the experimental period, each boar received a daily supplement of 7 g of Turnera diffusa extract. In each period, five ejaculates were collected from each boar included in the study. The ejaculates were evaluated for volume, sperm concentration, motility, agglutination, number of insemination doses obtained per ejaculate after dilution, and sperm viability after 24, 48, and 72 h of storage. The results of a two-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that the combined effect of boar × treatment significantly influenced ejaculate volume (p < 0.01) and viability after 48 h of storage (p < 0.05). The results of the two-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that treatment with the tested additive T. diffusa significantly affected sperm survival during storage for 24 h (p < 0.01), 48 h (p < 0.001), and 72 h (p < 0.05). Bonferroni post hoc analysis indicated that T. diffusa significantly affected only the parameters related to sperm viability, namely survival rates at 24 h (p < 0.001), 48 h (p < 0.01), and 72 h (p < 0.01). The findings of this study demonstrate that the application of the tested supplement, at the specified dose and duration, has a positive effect on semen quality in boars.