Pengaruh Penambahan Ekstrak Bayam Hijau (Amaranthus viridis) Sebagai Pengencer Sitrat Kuning Telur Ayam Kampung Terhadap Kualitas Semen Beku Sapi Limousin

Abstract

Research on frozen semen quality is greatly influenced by the ability of the diluent to protect spermatozoa from oxidative damage during the freezing process. Green spinach (Amaranthus viridis) is known to contain antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, vitamin C, and phenolics that have the potential to counteract free radicals. This study aims to evaluate the effect of adding green spinach extract to a tris-yellow chicken egg diluent on the quality of Limousin cattle semen, using the parameters of motility, viability, and abnormality before and after freezing. The study was conducted at the Artificial Insemination Laboratory, Plantation and Livestock Service of North Sumatra Province, from April to May 2025, using fresh semen that met quality standards. The treatments consisted of P0 (control), P1 (10%), P2 (20%), and P3 (30%) 4 treatments with 5 replicates. The results showed that P1 gave the best results, with post-freezing motility of (45.50%), viability of (50.20%), and the lowest abnormality of (12.16%). It was concluded that the addition of 10% green spinach extract is the optimal dose to maintain the quality of Limousin bull semen after freezing and has the potential to be applied in frozen semen production for artificial insemination.