Effect of dietary n‐3 fatty acid and rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) supplementation on semen quality, sperm fatty acids and reproductive performance of aged male broiler breeders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of dietary fish oil (FO) and rooibos supplementation on semen quality, fatty acids composition and reproductive performance of aged male broiler breeders. Seventy‐two 47‐week‐old Ross broiler breeder roosters were randomly assigned to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangements to include two FO concentrations (0% and 2%) and 3 rooibos concentrations (0%, 1.5% and 3%) for 13 weeks consecutive. The different diets affected semen parameters significantly (p < 0.05), except for the semen concentration and abnormality of the sperm. The sperm of the FO and 3% rooibos‐treated group showed better motility and viability when compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). The susceptibility of semen to lipid peroxidation was increased in roosters fed the rooibos‐free diets (p < 0.05), but it was reduced (p < 0.05) when the diet was supplemented with 1.5% and 3% rooibos. In addition, at 64 weeks, the highest concentration of testosterone was observed in the roosters fed a diet that included 2% FO and 3% rooibos (p < 0.05); however, the difference in testosterone levels between Week 52 and Week 64 was not significant (p > 0.05). The fertility rate of collected eggs from the FO and 3% rooibos group was higher (p < 0.05) than that of the other groups at the end of the experiment. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of FO along with rooibos improved seminal quality and reproduction performance in aged roosters.

Sperm fatty acid composition, semen quality, and reproductive performance of roosters fed diets supplemented with n-3 fatty acids and ginger (Zingiber officinale)

“…It is hypothesized that dietary FO may enhance the forward progressive motility of sperm by increasing energy production (Fouad et al, 2020;Kamali Sangani et al, 2017). Despite the beneficial effects of inclusion of dietary FO, some studies have shown that semen quality is declined in diets enriched with PUFA that lack an antioxidant source (Golzar Adabi et al, 2022;Teymouri Zadeh et al, 2020;Hlungwani et al, 2015). In sperm, the presence of high concentrations of PUFAs increases susceptibility to ROS attacks, accordingly, an imbalance between the ROS production and the available defense antioxidants results in lipid peroxidation (Raei et al, a, 2021.…”

“…A 2 × 2 factorial design in a complete randomized design, with 18 replications of individual roosters in each group was used, in which the first factor was fish oil, either 0 or 20 g FO/kg of diet, and the second factor was ginger powder, either 0 or 30 g GP/kg of diet (Akhlaghi et al, 2014;Golzar Adabi et al, 2022). Birds were allocated into 4 groups including: 1) F0G0 group received a basal diet; 2) F0G3 group received the basal diet supplemented with 30 g GP/kg of diet; 3) F2G0 group received the basal diet supplemented with 20 g FO/kg of diet, and 4) F2G3 group received the basal diet supplemented with 30 g GP/kg of diet and 20 g FO/kg of diet.…”

“…Sperm forward motility was assessed by placing a 3 μl of diluted ejaculate with 2.9% sodium citrate (1:100) on a pre-warmed (40°C) slide covered with a coverslip on a compound Olympus-BX50 light microscope (Olympus Optical) at × 400 magnification (Golzar Adabi et al, 2022).…”

“…Additionally, it has been reported that the inclusion of fatty acids in the diets improved rooster's semen quality (Safari Asl et al, 2018). As α-linolenic acid is a precursor of EPA and DHA in the body and FO is one of the common sources of this substance, the dietary inclusion of FO may improve semen quality by increasing the efficiency of DHA and EPA synthesis (Golzar Adabi et al, 2022;Brinsko et al, 2005). It appears that dietary n-3 fatty acids may improve sperm function by changing the fatty acid profile of sperm, changing the susceptibilities of membrane PUFAs to lipid peroxidation, and modifying the integrity and function of the membrane (Golzar Adabi et al, 2022;Teymouri Zadeh et al, 2020).…”

“…As α-linolenic acid is a precursor of EPA and DHA in the body and FO is one of the common sources of this substance, the dietary inclusion of FO may improve semen quality by increasing the efficiency of DHA and EPA synthesis (Golzar Adabi et al, 2022;Brinsko et al, 2005). It appears that dietary n-3 fatty acids may improve sperm function by changing the fatty acid profile of sperm, changing the susceptibilities of membrane PUFAs to lipid peroxidation, and modifying the integrity and function of the membrane (Golzar Adabi et al, 2022;Teymouri Zadeh et al, 2020). Although several studies have reported positive effects of FO supplementation on sperm progressive motility, it is well known that unsaturated fatty acids such as EPA and DHA readily undergo peroxidation (Teymouri Zadeh et al, 2020;Cerolini et al, 2006).…”