USE OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF PEAR ORANGE PEEL IN THE CRYOPRESERVATION OF BOVINE SPERMATOZOA

Abstract

Brazil is the country with the largest commercial cattle herd, and with that, there is a need to increasingly improve the efficiency of the processes involved in this sector. For this, biotechniques applied to reproduction, such as cryopreservation, are used. In order to avoid the damage caused by this technique, seminal diluters are used. However, the standard dilutors routinely used have ingredients of animal origin, such as egg yolk and skim milk. These are difficult to standardize and present a risk of contamination. There is therefore a great interest in the development of plant-based extenders. Orange is a fruit rich in secondary metabolites, such as carbohydrates and phenolic compounds, these are related to its antioxidant activity. In Brazil, the pear orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) is the most important citrus variety and its use by the juice industry generates tons of agricultural waste, mainly from its peel. This work seeks to use pear orange peel, a residue with possible bioactive potentials, for the production of crude extract. These can be beneficial within the formulation of a seminal diluter due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the use of ethanolic extract from the husk in the production of a new extender for the conservation of bovine spermatozoa. The ethanolic extract of orange peel was obtained and characterized for its phytochemical composition, antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity. After obtaining, the ethanolic extract was included in sperm freeze thinners, with or without the presence of egg yolk and addition of 10 and 20% of this extract. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of orange peel has alkaloids, steroids, tannins and flavonoids, in addition to a high concentration of reducing sugars and antioxidant potential, however, the sperm evaluations indicated that there was no difference between the standard diluter added to the extract and the standard extender alone. In view of these results, it is concluded that the ethanolic extract of orange peel should be better evaluated for its cryoprotective potential in bovine sperm cells.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.032-015