title: Determination of fatty acid profile in ram spermatozoa and seminal plasma.
abstract: Fatty acids are important in male reproductive function because they are associated with membrane fluidity, acrosome reaction, sperm motility and viability, but limited information exists about the fatty acid profile of ram semen. Our aim was to determine the fatty acid composition in ram spermatozoa and seminal plasma. Sixty ejaculates were obtained from three ram (20 ejaculates/ram) using artificial vagina. Ram spermatozoa (RS) and seminal plasma (SP) were separated using centrifugation, and the fatty acids were analysed by gas chromatography. Total lipids obtained in ram spermatozoa were 1.8% and 1.6% in seminal plasma. Saturated fatty acid (SFA) was proportionally major in SP (66.6%) that RS (49.9%). The highest proportions of SFA corresponded to C4:0 (RS = 16.3% and SP = 28.8%) and C16:0 (RS = 16.3% and PS = 20%). The most important unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) was docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 44.9% in RS and 31.5% in SP. The profile of fatty acid and their proportions showed differences between spermatozoa and seminal plasma.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.|Centro de Biotecnología en Reproducción (BIOREN-CEBIOR), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Andrología y Tecnología de Embriones Suinos (LATES), Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de São Paulo, Pirasununga, Brasil.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.|Centro de Biotecnología en Reproducción (BIOREN-CEBIOR), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnología en Reproducción (BIOREN-CEBIOR), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.|Centro de Biotecnología en Reproducción (BIOREN-CEBIOR), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sepúlveda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
keywords: Gas chromatography; lipids; seminal plasma; spermatozoa