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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Evaluation of maize grain and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) as energy sources for breeding rams based on hormonal, sperm functional parameters and fertility

Sellappan Selvaraju A D , Priyadarshini Raju A C , Somu Bala Nageswara Rao B , Subbarao Raghavendra A , Sumantha Nandi A , Dhanasekaran Dineshkumar B , Allen Thayakumar A , Shivashanmugam Parthipan A and Janivara Parameswaraiah Ravindra A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Animal Physiology Division, National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bangalore, India.

B Animal Nutrition Division, National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bangalore, India.

C Present address: Physiology, Reproduction and Shelter Management Division, Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, UttarPradesh, India.

D Corresponding author. Email: selvarajuars@rediffmail.com

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 24(5) 669-678 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD11229
Submitted: 7 September 2011  Accepted: 17 October 2011   Published: 28 November 2011

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the effect of different sources of dietary energy (maize vs polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) on semen functional parameters and fertility of adult rams. Eighteen adult rams were divided into two groups (maize and PUFA, n = 9). The main energy source for the rams in the maize group was coarsely ground maize grain, whereas in the PUFA group it was sunflower oil (rich in 18 : 2 linoleic acid, an omega-6 acid). The ration was fed for a minimum period of 60 days and thereafter semen was collected for evaluation. The proportion of progressive forward motility was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the PUFA group compared with the maize group. Sperm lipid peroxidation as measured by malondialdehyde formation (µM per 1 × 109 spermatozoa) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the PUFA group compared with the maize group. When the semen was diluted with Tris–egg yolk–citrate buffer and incubated for 24 h at 4°C, the proportions of plasmalemma integrity, the sperm subpopulation positive for functional membrane and acrosomal integrities, and mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in PUFA-fed than in maize-fed animals. The different sources of energy did not influence the serum and seminal plasma IGF-I levels. The cleavage rate (percentage) did not differ significantly between PUFA- (45.4 ± 4.91) and maize- (44.63 ± 6.8) fed animals. In conclusion, PUFA feeding influenced sperm quality by altering or stabilising membrane integrity. The present study indicates that PUFA may improve semen quality but did not improve in vitro fertilisation.

Additional keywords: cleavage rate, IGF-I, lipid peroxidation, membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, motility.


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