title: Effect of dietary fish oil supplementation on ram semen freeze ability and fertility using soybean lecithin- and egg yolk-based extenders.
abstract: Ram semen cryopreservation is not efficient for artificial insemination in commercial herds. Beneficial effects of dietary fish oil have been evaluated for cryopreservation of ram semen in soybean lecithin (SL) and egg yolk (EY)-based extenders. A factorial study (two diets × two extenders) was used to analyze the effects of two diets supplemented with fish oil (n-3 fatty acid) or palm oil (saturated fatty acids; [SFAs]) to freeze ram semen in two extenders containing SL or EY. Motility characteristics, membrane integrity, abnormal morphology, mitochondria activity, acrosome integrity, apoptotic status, and fertilizing ability were assessed after freeze-thawing. Although diet had significant (P ≤ 0.05) effects on the quality parameters of frozen-thawed sperm, effects of extenders on these traits were not significant (P > 0.05). The higher significant (P ≤ 0.05) percentage of total motility and progressive motility were observed in n-3/SL (44.83 ± 1.56 and 28.33 ± 1.4) and n-3/EY (43.33 ± 1.56 and 28.50 ± 1.4) than SFA/SL (32.16 ± 1.56 and 14.00 ± 1.4) and SFA/EY (31.66 ± 1.56 and 12.66 ± 1.4) groups. Moreover, n-3/SL and n-3/EY produced the higher significant (P ≤ 0.05) percentage of membrane integrity of sperm (39.83 ± 1.4 and 37.33 ± 1.4) than SFA/SL and SFA/EY (29.83 ± 1.4 and 28.5 ± 1.4). For viability results, the higher significant percentage of live sperm was observed in n-3/SL and n-3/EY (43.16 ± 1.38 and 45.66 ± 1.38) than SFA/SL and SFA/EY (28.66 ± 1.38 and 27.5 ± 1.38). For fertility trials, n-3-based diets (n-3/SL and n-3/EY) improved significantly (P ≤ 0.05) pregnancy rate (44% and 46%), parturition rate (42% and 42%), and lambing rate (46% and 44%) compared with the SFA-based diets (SFA/SL and SFA/EY). No interaction effects have been found between diets and extenders (P > 0.05). It seems that dietary fish oil can improve the semen performance after freezing-thawing process and artificial insemination aside from type of extenders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Masoudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: m.sharafi@modares.ac.ir.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zare Shahneh
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Towhidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kohram
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Esmaeili
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shahverdi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000662:veterinary; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004530:Egg Yolk; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary; D054709:Lecithins; D008297:Male; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D011247:Pregnancy; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D013025:Glycine max; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D054709:Lecithins; D010938:Plant Oils; D000073878:Palm Oil
keywords: Apoptosis; Mitochondria activity; Pregnancy rate; Ram; Sperm freezing