Semen Characteristics, Reproductive Hormones and Testicular Histology of Male Rabbits Fed Dietary Supplemental Levels of Dried Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) Fruit Meal

The testis is the primary sex organ in the male reproductive system that is responsible for the production of semen. This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with dried date palm fruit meal (DDFM) on semen characteristics, reproductive hormone profiles, and testicular histology in male rabbits. Thirty-six grower rabbit bucks aged 8–10 weeks old used for the study were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design as follows; T1 (0.00% DDFM), T2 (0.50% DDFM), T3 (1.00% DDFM), and T4 (1.50% DDFM). Each treatment was replicated thrice with 3 rabbits per replicate in a study that lasted 24 weeks. At the end of the experiment, semen samples, blood and testicular samples were collected for laboratory examinations. Results indicated that dietary inclusion of DDFM significantly improved semen volume, sperm concentration, percentage of live sperm cells, and total sperm count per ejaculate compared to the control. Although sperm motility was not significantly influenced (P>0.05), morphological abnormalities decreased in DDFM-supplemented groups. Rabbit bucks in T2, T3 and T4 had higher similar sperm concentration values of 86.67, 92.00, and 92.33 x 106/ml, respectively, than those in T1 (77.00 x 106/ml). Hormonal analysis showed increased (P=0.05) follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels with supplementation, whereas testosterone levels varied among treatments. Testicular histology revealed no pathological changes in the control, while seminiferous tubules in treated groups exhibited varying degrees of hypertrophy, vacuolation, and sporadic germinal epithelial degeneration, particularly at higher supplementation levels. These findings suggest that moderate inclusion of DDFM (1.00%) enhances semen quality and reproductive hormone profiles in rabbit bucks but may induce mild histological changes at higher doses.