EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF WATERMELON PULP ON THE MORPHORMETRIC CHARACTERISTIC OF RABBIT (Oryctolagus cunnuculus) REPRODUCTIVE TRACT

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The effect of aqueous extract of watermelon pulp on the morphometric characteristics of 40 matured mixed breeds of rabbit about 1200-1400g (comprising of 20 bucks, 20 does) reproductive tract was investigated. Watermelon pulp extract was at zinc inclusion levels of 15 and 20 per 80-ml of water. The rabbits were randomly allocated to five treatments comprising of four replicates per treatment at two rabbits per replicate making eight rabbits per treatment in a completely randomized design. Feeds were givenad-libitumfor twelve weeks and water was provided daily for 20 hours while for the remaining hours of the day (4 hours), they were deprived of water so that they can take of the treatment dosage. At the end of the experiment, 4 rabbits (2 bucks and 2 does) were randomly selected from each treatment. The animals were sacrificed and eviscerated for reproductive organ weight determination.Data obtained were subjected to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) following completely randomized. design. Duncan’s Multiple Range Test, Duncan (1955) was used to determine the significant differences (p<0.05) among treatments means. The experimental results showed that the inclusion level of aqueous extract of watermelon pulp at 5 g per 80-ml of water produced the best performance in terms of reproductive organ weight and length for both the rabbitbucksand does. From the results obtained it is observed that inclusion of aqueous extract of watermelon pulp at 5 g per 80-ml water will lead to increased productivity in rabbit breeding programmes, however higher levels may resultin decrease performance and should not be encouraged.Keywords:AqueousExtract,WatermelonPulp,MorphometricCharacteristics,Rabbit, Reproductive TractINTRODUCTIONIn Nigeria, rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)production has been observed to be one of the livestock enterprise with the greatest opportunity and potential for expansion. They are source of white meat which is low in fat and cholesterol. The rabbitprovides valuable wool (fur), skins, manure, toys and novelties and can be used for patients (Olaide,2022).Inefficiency in reproduction is the major constraint to the efficient production of rabbits in the tropics (Gbadamosi and Egbunike, 1999). The libido, sperm production efficiency and sperm quality tend to remain constant all through an animals’ reproductive life, although could be markedly changed by environment, stage of production, drugs, chemicals, health status as well as by nutrition (Togun and Egbunike, 2006). Lakabi et al. (2016) reported that the study of the sexual development in rabbit requires the knowledge of growth profiles and tissue maturation or parts of the reproductive system associated with the potential capacity for sperm production. The fundamental understanding of an animals’ reproductive organ morphometry provides helpful information for the assessment of its potential fertility and breeding ability (Ogbuewu, 2008). The size of the testes serves as a valuable indication of the present and future sperm production and the breeding potential of male animals (Perry and Petterson, 2001). The Watermelon fruit (Citrullus lanatus) is popular in most parts of the world, well known for its attractive look and high water content. It often contains about 92% water and 6% sugar by weight, and it is a valuable source of vitamin C as with various fruits. According to Rhodes and Zhang (1999), watermelon serves greatly as a natural lycopene source, a carotenoid which is of major advantage due to its potential health benefits and antioxidant capacity. Presently, there are limited research work carried out on effect of aqueous extract of watermelon pulp on the reproductive tract morphometry on animals. This works is therefore aimed at examining the effect of aqueous extract of watermelon pulp on the morphometric characteristics of rabbit reproductive tract. The work is aimed at bringing about an alternative to the commercially available sources of vitamins, this will help to reduce