As refreshing as it may be , scientist in Africa are give chase an unappetizing ( but potentially ingenious ) use for coconut meat water : the artificial insemination of pigs .
scientist at Gulu University in Uganda are part of a test to see whether alimental - rich coconut water can be used to amend the success of artificial insemination in pig , accord toSciDev . Net , a news outlet reporting on science in developing nations .
The piss found inside young , dark-green coconuts is naturally rich in nutrients such as atomic number 11 , atomic number 19 , and atomic number 12 . When the coconut water is used as a liquid to turn in the come into the female pig ’s reproductive channel , it could be used to avail maintain the sperms ’ viability , the scientists hypothesize .
" High concentration of atomic number 11 and potassium in the green coconuts are factors which help in sperm motility and longevity , " Elly Ndyomugyenyi , the undertaking ’s lead researcher from the section of animal output at Gulu University , tell SciDev . meshing .
" Outside a boar ’s torso , the spermatozoon will last for about four hours , after which they start to choke due to famishment and temperature change , but when it is total to coconut water , they will live for up to 96 hours , allow insemination at the appropriate time , " explained Joab Malanda , a hog yield expert at the department of animal science at Egerton University in Kenya .
The on-going trial started in 2017 and has involved almost 1,000 local farmers in Uganda .
Demand for porc in parts ofAfrica is produce , but some countries in the continent are finding it tough to keep up with demand . The Southern Cross of the project is that it could be well scale up at a comparatively down cost in African countries where coconuts are widely available .
By potentially improving the rearing of pigs , it could also help oneself to staunch the spread of diseases within farm . For illustration , a handsome care is African swine feverishness ( ASF ) , a extremely transmissible viral disease find oneself in domesticate pigs and first described in Kenyathat has since spreadto many other parts of the world .
Coconut water is often trumpet for its wellness benefits for human race , but some of those claims should be taken with some caution . Since it contain electrolytes , coconut meat piddle is often used to supersede body fluids fall behind through sweat after utilisation . When it comes to some of the larger wellness claims about coconut water , however , there’snot a riches of evidence .
As for its success at nurture tidy piggy , we ’ll have to hold off until the upshot of the tribulation are fully fathered , analyzed , and release .
