Comparison between the effect of egg yolk-based extender and Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) based extender on red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) sperm quality

This study is aimed to determine the efficiency of Aloe vera extract as a cryoprotectant for chilling of fish semen compared to the conventional egg yolk-based extender (EYBX). A sample of 13 adult tilapia fishes was used for semen collection. All semen collected was pooled and the total volume of semen was divided into five aliquots where each of them was added with tris stabilizer (control), EYBX, 10%, 20% and 30% Aloe vera-based extender (AVBX) respectively. The samples were chilled at 4°C and the sperm quality was evaluated at different time intervals for 45 hours. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between EYBX and AVBX in both parameters with EYBX showing superior sperm preserving ability. However, AVBX showed the potential for semen preservation as well with 10% AVBX for best sperm viability while 30% AVBX offered the best result in sperm motility score.Keywords: semen extender; Aloe vera; red tilapia; sperm chillin