Five Nitra male rabbits were subjected to artificially semen collection. Samples with percent motility above 70 were pooled for subsequent dilution and
processing. Pooled semen samples were diluted (1 :5) with Tris extender free of egg-
yolk. Three different levels of vitamin E were added to extended semen samples.
These levels were 2, 4, 8 mg vitamin E for each 5 ml extended semen in addition to
two control groups (control 1 without vitamin E and control 2 with ethanol and without
vitamin E), respectively. Diluted samples with different levels of vitamin E were kept at
15°C for one day. Sperm motility, live and dead sperm, broken head and broken tail
sperm percentages, and acrosome integrity criteria were measured for diluted
samples of different groups after dilution by 0, 2 and after 24 hours of incubation at
the same temperature. It was found that vitamin E addition significantly improved
sperm motility % after two hours 0 f incubation a t a II a dded I evels. In which sperm
motility were 70% for different levels of vitamin E and 65% for control 1 & 2 groups,
respectively after 2 h rs incubation periods. A Iso acrosome integrity % was differed
among different groups. Where, it was higher in correlation with higher doses of
vitamin E. Average values of acrosome integrity % (A.I) were 91.67, 92.00 and 95.33
for three different levels of vit E respectively. Whereas, they were (A.I) 81.33 and
79.33 for control 1 and control 2, respectively. As for live and dead sperm percentage,
broken head and broken tail sperm, did not differ significantly according to different
groups. It could be concluded that, vitamin E can be included in rabbit semen diluters
as a sperm metabolism protectant especially for fine organelles and structures such
as galea caputis (acrosome). In addition, fertility rate for different levels of vitamin E
addition to extended semen was 75, 75, 70 and 85 % for control, first, second and
third level, respectively.