Publication:

Effects of dietary energy level on reproductive characteristics in male African giant rat Cricetomys gambianus

Background The study was conducted to assess the effects of the digestible dietary energy level on some reproductive characteristics in African giant rat.

Methods Sixteen young males were randomly distributed into 4 groups of 4 animals each. To each group was attributed randomly one of the 4 dietary energy levels (3600 Kcal/kg, 3800 Kcal/kg, 4000 Kcal/kg or 4200 Kcal/kg). The daily distribution of experimental diets last six months, ie ended when cricetoma were 8 months old. At the end of that period, all animals were sacrificed.

Results Results showed an increase in testes weight with the augmentation of dietary digestible energy level (0.79±0.13, 0.88±0.17, 1.02±0.28 and 1.02±0.16 respectively for 3600 Kcal/kg, 3800 Kcal/kg, 4000 Kcal/kg and 4200 Kcal/kg). The serum testosterone level, the sperm mobility (76.67, 62, 63 and 57%) and count per cauda epididymis (18.25±3.75, 16.38±4.19, 10.83±2.02 and 10.13±2.9) and per gram cauda epididymis (39.09±11.82, 27.01±4.23, 15.41±3.31 and 17.40±7.28) significantly (p<0.05) decreased with the increasing level of digestible energy in the feed.

Conclusions The dietary digestible energy level that gave the higher reproductive performances in male African giant rat was 3600 Kcal/kg DM.