TITLE:
Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Madagascar Cardamom (Aframomum angustifolium) Seed and Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) Powders on Sperm Characteristics in Male Rabbits
AUTHORS:
Issa Abdel Djalil Ousmane, Herve Tchoffo, Alex Boris Dobgima, Tsogang Thierry Tchouala, Dongmo Charles Djonko, Ferdinand Ngoula
KEYWORDS:
Sperm Characteristics, Clove, Madagascar Cardamom, Rabbit
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Animal Sciences,
Vol.16 No.4,
October
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: In order to improve the sperm characteristics of local rabbits and promote the use of phytobiotics, an experimental study entitled “Effects of dietary supplementation with Madagascar cardamom (Aframomum angustifolium) seed and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) powders on sperm characteristics in male rabbits” was conducted at the Mange Lapin farm. Twenty male rabbits with a mean body weight of 2993 ± 290 g were randomly allocated to five groups and housed individually. Rabbits in treatment T0 received a basal diet without additives, whereas those in treatments T1, T2, T3, and T4 received diets supplemented with 0.5%, 1% A. angustifolium powder and 0.5%, 1% clove powder, respectively. Animals were fed every morning between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., with a daily feed allowance of 130 g throughout the 8-week trial. Semen was collected before the start of the experiment, after one month of treatment, and after two months (end of the trial) to monitor changes in sperm characteristics. The lower inclusion level of A. angustifolium powder (0.5% per kg of feed) significantly (p A. angustifolium (T1) and clove at both inclusion levels helped maintain a slightly alkaline seminal pH, which is generally favorable for sperm viability and motility. Semen color was not markedly affected by either additive, with milky white remaining the predominant color across treatments and sampling periods. Group T2 (1% A. angustifolium) showed the greatest sperm concentration after one month, whereas T4 (1% clove) exhibited the highest concentration after two months. The proportion of motile spermatozoa generally increased after two months in all groups, while the proportion of immotile spermatozoa decreased, with a significant reduction already evident after one month in some treatments (T1 and T4). Overall, incorporating A. angustifolium and clove powders at 1% of the diet enhanced sperm characteristics and may contribute to improved fertility in local rabbits.