Alginate oligosaccharides increase boar semen quality by affecting gut microbiota and metabolites in blood and sperm

Abstract

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), natural polymers from brown seaweeds (such as Laminaria japonica, Undaria pinnatifida, and Sargassum fusiforme), have been reported to possess many beneficial advantages for health. In the current study, after 9 weeks of dietary supplementation, AOS 10 mg/kg group (AOS 10) group increased boar sperm motility from 87.8% to 93.5%, p < 0.05. Moreover, AOS10 increased the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Coprococcus, Butyricicoccus (1.3–2.3-fold; p < 0.05) to increase the beneficial blood and sperm metabolites (1.2–1.6-fold; p < 0.05), and important sperm proteins such as gelsolin, Zn-alpha2 glycoprotein, Cation Channel Sperm-Associated Protein, outer dense fiber of sperm tails, etc. (1.5–2.2-fold; p < 0.05). AOS had a long-term beneficial advantage on boar semen quality by the increase in semen volume (175 vs. 160 ml/ejaculation, p < 0.05). AOS may be used as dietary additives for improving semen quality.

Alginate oligosaccharide extends the service lifespan by improving the sperm metabolome and gut microbiota in an aging Duroc boars model

“…Sperm metabolites play a vital role in the procedure of spermatogenesis ( Zhao et al., 2022 ). Studies have shown that AOS was conducive to improving the blood metabolome of boars, which, in turn, affects systemic metabolism ( Han et al., 2022 ; Hao et al., 2022 ). At the same time, AOS was also conducive to improving metabolites in boar sperm.…”

“…At the same time, AOS was also conducive to improving metabolites in boar sperm. In the experiment involving young boars, AOS could improve some unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidants to improve semen quality ( Han et al., 2022 ). In this study, AOS improved the sperm metabolome of aging boars; several types of fatty acids and derivatives were significantly increased, such as butyrylcarnitine, propionylcarnitine, and adrenic acid.…”

“…The Duroc boars were randomly divided into two groups, namely, the control (CON) group and the AOS group, with each group consisting of nine boars. The CON group was fed a basal diet (feed formula is shown in Table S1 ), and boars in the AOS group were fed a basal diet with 10 mg of AOS per kg of body weight ( Han et al., 2022 ) (provided by Qingdao Zhibo Biotechnology Co., Ltd). Each boar was housed in an individual pen and the whole feeding period lasted 9 weeks ( Figure 1A ).…”

Selenized glucose improves rat semen quality by improving the gut microbiota and serum metabolome

“…Alginate oligosaccharides are dietary supplements that improve the GM composition, boost beneficial metabolites in serum and semen, and have long-term advantages for enhancing boar semen quality. 17 However, enteric dysbacteriosis resulting from ingested poisons, such as bisphenol-A or organophosphorus pesticides, may exacerbate reproductive toxicity and have an adverse impact on the semen quality. 18,19 Researchers are exploring the connection between the GM and reproductive parameters, and the gut-testis axis concept 20 provides new insights into the mechanism underlying the relationship between Se and the semen quality.…”

Response of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to alginate oligosaccharides fermented with fecal inoculum: integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses

“…coli , and increased the SCFA (e.g., acetic acid and butyric acid) and lactic acid contents. As an animal dietary additive, AOS also increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium , Coprococcus , and Butyricicoccus (Han et al 2022 ). However, the complex mechanisms involved in the metabolic changes caused by AOS and the mechanisms underlying its antibacterial activity in the intestine remain unclear.…”