title: Testicular biochemicals, sperm reserves and daily sperm production of West African dwarf bucks fed varied levels of dietary aflatoxin.
abstract: An experiment was conducted with twenty West African dwarf (WAD) bucks (5-6 months old) to assess reproductive potentials of growing WAD bucks to varied dietary aflatoxin of 0 μg/kg, 50 μg/kg, 100 μg/kg and 150 μg/kg containing in diets 1 (control) 2, 3 and 4 respectively, for a period of 12 weeks. At the end of the 12th week, the reproductive tracts of bucks were excised and homogenised in physiological saline for assessment of glucose, total protein and testosterone concentration, gonadal and extra gonadal sperm reserves. Results showed that gonadal and extra-gonadal sperm reserves of goats fed control diet (2.71×10(9) and 3.07×10(9) spermatozoa respectively) were superior (p<0.05) to those fed 50 μg/kg, 100 μg/kg and 15 0μg/kg [(1.59×10(9) and 2.33×10(9)), (1.09×10(9) and 2.45×10(9)) and (1.00×10(9) and 1.41×10(9)) spermatozoa respectively]. Daily sperm production of bucks fed the control diet was significantly (p<0.05) higher (7.60×10(8) spermatozoa/testis) than those fed 50 μg/kg (4.47×10(8)), 100 μg/kg (3.07×10(8)) and 150 μg/kg (2.80×10(8) spermatozoa/testis). Sperm production efficiency also follows the same trend as daily sperm production. Glucose and total protein concentration in the testes declined significantly as the aflatoxin level increases in the diets. Testosterone level was significantly lower in goats fed 100 μg/kg than others. The study suggest that exposure of male goats to dietary aflatoxin up to 50 μg/kg diet will reduced testicular biochemical and testosterone with resultant depression in sperm storage capability and daily sperm production in the animals.
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiology Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Electronic address: eoewuola@gmail.com.
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Ewuola
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Technology Department, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Jimoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Nutritional Science, Christian Albrecht Universitat Zu, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiology Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Bolarinwa
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000633:toxicity*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006041:Goats; D008297:Male; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000662:veterinary*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Aflatoxin; Bucks; Daily sperm production; Testosterone