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. 2025 Dec 27;16:3768. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-33776-z

Table 2.

Semen variables in frozen – thawed African Penguin samples in two tested groups. Data are presented as mean ± SD and median (range), sample size (n) = 27.

Semen characteristic Descriptive statistic Group p-value Effect size
Control T500
ViabilityA (%) Mean ± SD 31.07 ± 14.29 32.74 ± 18.14 0.587 0.0764
Median (range) 28 (13–65) 31 (0–72)
Total motility (%) Mean ± SD 7.76 ± 7.02 4.21 ± 11.67 0.00186* 0.601
Median (range) 5.3 (0.7–25.4) 1.9 (0.0–62.2)
Progressive motility (%) Mean ± SD 0.55 ± 0.45 0.40 ± 0.37 0.265 0.225
Median (range) 0.4 (0.0–1.9) 0.4 (0.0–1.3)
Rapid (%) Mean ± SD 13.59 ± 9.83 22.10 ± 15.43 0.0089* 0.502
Median (range) 9.1 (0.0 33.3) 25.0 (0.0–47.1)
Slow (%) Mean ± SD 7.37 ± 6.70 3.59 ± 11.67 0.00071* 0.690
Median (range) 4.5 (1.0–24.8) 1.3 (0.0–61.8)
VCL (µm/s) Mean ± SD 69.50 ± 28.31 88.00 ± 36.89 0.028* 0.421
Median (range) 58.19 (35.61–133.60) 90.81 (0.00–160.26)
VSL (µm/s) Mean ± SD 25.46 ± 8.13 31.95 ± 12.91 0.014* 0.467
Median (range) 24.02 (15.62–42.69) 34.82 (0.00–49.06)
VAP (µm/s) Mean ± SD 35.62 ± 12.80 45.11 ± 15.53 0.00645* 0.513
Median (range) 31.96 (20.79–72.06) 47.15 (0.00–67.26)
LIN (%) Mean ± SD 44.12 ± 8.19 44.21 ± 15.53 0.413 0.162
Median (range) 46.26 (23.92–56.94) 49.19 (0.00–66.39)
STR (%) Mean ± SD 72.96 ± 8.16 68.96 ± 18.89 0.786 0.0555
Median (range) 75.78 (51.85–83.85) 73.85 (0.00–90.26)
WOB (%) Mean ± SD 56.45 ± 7.09 56.88 ± 15.27 0.313 0.199
Median (range) 57.16 (37.64–68.98) 61.06 (0.00–75.72)
ALH (µm) Mean ± SD 5.95 ± 2.62 8.14 ± 2.47 0.00325* 0.55
Median (range) 4.64 (3.00–11.23) 8.51 (0.00–11.02)
BCF (Hz) Mean ± SD 63.67 ± 35.01 80.55 ± 38.30 0.0276*,a 0.370
Median (range) 54.63 (25.25–165.88) 79.39 (0.00–158.70)

p – value is for the Wilcoxon test for paired samples.

SD = standard deviation, A eosin – nigrosine staining assessment, VCL = curvilinear velocity, VSL = straight-line velocity, VAP = average path velocity, LIN = linearity, STR = straightness, WOB = wobble, ALH = amplitude of lateral head displacement, BCF = beat cross frequency, * values statistically significant (p < 0.05), a one-sided test.