title: Effects of dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio and vitamin E on semen quality, fatty acid composition and antioxidant status in boars.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acid (FA) ratio and vitamin E on the semen quality, FA composition and antioxidant status of boars. Forty-eight Landrace boars were randomly distributed in a 3×2 factorial design with three n-6:n-3 FA ratios (14.4, 6.6 and 2.2) by the inclusion of three oil sources (soybean, fish/soybean, fish) and two vitamin E levels (200 and 400mg/kg). During the 8 weeks of treatment, semen parameters were evaluated. Serum, sperm and seminal plasma samples were taken at 0 and 8 weeks to monitor the FA composition and antioxidant status. Results showed that the 6.6 and 2.2 dietary ratios very effectively increased docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and decreased docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and n-6:n-3 ratio in spermatozoa. The 6.6 dietary ratio contributed to a greater progressive sperm motility (P<0.05) than the 14.4 and 2.2 dietary ratio, and this ratio also enhanced the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (P<0.05) in seminal plasma more significantly than the other two ratios at week 8. Compared with 200mg/kg supplementation of vitamin E, 400mg/kg supplementation of vitamin E increased the progressive sperm motility, SOD of sperm, TAC and SOD of seminal plasma and serum, and decreased sperm malondialdehyde (MDA) (P<0.05). In conclusion, the 6.6 dietary ratio and 400mg/kg vitamin E supplementation improve progressive sperm motility by modifying the sperm FA composition and antioxidant status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China; The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, PR China. Electronic address: jiangsiwen@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China; The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, PR China. Electronic address: pengjian@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000662:veterinary*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis; D013552:Swine; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D014810:Vitamin E; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: Antioxidant status; Boars; Dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio; Semen quality; Vitamin E