Herve  Tchoffo, Chongsi Margaret  Mary Momo, Arthenice Jemima  Noumamo Guiekep, Herman  Victor Ngoumtsop, Ferdinand  Ngoula, Jean  Raphaël Kana, 
    Spermatozoa Characteristics, Reproductive Hormones and Fertility Rate in Male Japanese
Quail Fed on Ginger Rhizome (<i>Zingiber officinale</i>, Roscoe) Essential Oil,
    Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances,
    Volume 19,Issue 10,
    2020,
    Pages 137-143,
    ISSN 1680-5593,
    javaa.2020.137.143,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2020.137.143)
    Abstract: Ginger rhizome essential oil has many
properties (antimicrobial, stimulating animal digestive
system, antioxidants, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiinflammatory)
used in animal production to improve their
growth and reproductive performances. The present
study was designed to investigate the effect of ginger
(<i>Zingiber officinale</i>, Rosc.) roots essential oil on some
reproductive characteristics of male Japanese quail. The
total of 96, 3 weeks old males Japanese quail
(<i>Coturnixcoturnix japonica</i>) weighing between 120 and
130 g were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatment
groups in a completely randomized design replicated 4
times each of them. Each group was separated into 4
subgroups of 6 quails. For 64 days, animals in group 1
(control) received by orally distilled water (100 &#956;L kg<sup>&#150;1</sup>
body weight) while the other three test groups during the
same period, received respectively by the same method
50, 100 and 150 &#956;L kg<sup>&#150;1</sup> body weight (b.w.) of ginger
roots essential oil. At 12 weeks old, 4 male quail per
treatment with hypertrophied cloacal gland were chosen
at random and individually kept in cages with four
untreated females for fertility assessment. Throughout the
experiment, semen quality, reproductive hormones and
fertility rate were evaluated. The result revealed that the
testicular and vas deferens weights increased significantly
(p<0.05) in quails treated with 100 and 150 &#956;L kg<sup>&#150;1</sup> b.w.
of ginger roots essential oil. The sperm motility and
viability significantly increased (p<0.05) in quails
treated with essential oil compared to the control. The
serum content in LH, FSH and testosterone significantly
increased (p<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Fertility
rate was respectively 82.14, 90.71 and 88.54% with 50,
100 and 150 &#956;L kg<sup>&#150;1</sup> b.w. In conclusion, the ginger root
essential oil can be used to boost the male reproductive
performances by improving spermatozoa characteristics
and fertility rate.
    Keywords: Fertility;ginger essential oil;male reproduction;quail;sperm quality