Curcuma xanthorrhiza Diluent’s Effect on the Freezing and Thawing of Thin-Tailed Ram Sperm

The process of making frozen semen and preserving semen will increase sperm damage due to the activity of the free radicals that are formed. Curcuma xanthorrhiza rhizome has native antioxidant properties, such as curcumin, tumerol, and xanthorrhizol, which can be used for ram semen cryopreservation. This study examined the effects of C. xanthorrhiza extract on semen parameters after the freeze-thaw treatment in frozen semen processing. Four healthy and mature ram was conducted to collect the fresh semen in this research. Each donor’s ejaculate will be separated into five wells and diluted in an egg yolk citrate (2.9 (v/v)) extender containing 1, 2, 3, and 4 (P1; P2; P3; P4), and control/P0 which will then be evaluated for the quality of the semen produced, both in low temperatures (5° C) and frozen in straws that will be thawed later. The data obtained in this study were statistically analyzed using a completely randomized design (CRD). The results showed that the addition of C. xanthorrhiza improved the motility and viability of spermatozoa both in freeze-thawed semen (p < 0.05). P3 (3 supplementation) resulted in the highest motility (76.14±1.35 pre-freezing; 60.00±1.63 after thawing) and viability (85.00±2.00 pre-freezing and 70.14±1.57 after thawing) p<0.05). Regression tests using cubic curves showed that the R square2 values on motilities and viabilities were higher than 0.85, and could be used as a predictor of the higher addition of Curcuma xanthorrhiza. In conclusion, the addition of 3 C. xanthorriza in semen diluent significantly enhanced post-thaw sperm quality in thin-tailed ram semen by reducing free radical-mediated oxidative stress during pre-freezing or after thawing. Copyright 2025 by the authors.