Effects of Dietary Zn/Se and α-Tocopherol Supplementation on Metabolic Milieu, Haemogram and Semen Traits of Breeding Stallions

Abstract

Trace element status and metabolic milieu are sometimes overlooked in common veterinary clinical practice across animal species. The evaluation of requirements of trace elements, in fact, may be useful to prevent the perturbation of tissue-specific metabolic impair. In particular, essential trace elements in the diet play key roles within sub-cellular metabolic patterns with macro effects at the systemic level, like blood cell stability and semen quality. This effect was studied in breeding stallions, in which semen quality and haemogram are important for reproduction. A case-control feeding trial involved 40 stallions (age: 8–21 years; body weight, BW: 510–531 kg) of one stud centre, allotted to two experimental groups (n = 20 control, CON vs. n = 20 supplemented, SUPPL100), following a matched-pairs approach based on age. Supplemented stallions (SUPPL100) received a mixed mineral and vitamin supplement of Zn/Se and α-tocopherol (α-TOH) (100 g/day stallion) to compound feed, fed as control diet to horses of the control group (CON). Horses resulted deficient in circulating α-TOH and Zn at the start, though clinically healthy. After supplementation, different plasmatic levels of α-TOH, Zn and Se were found between groups. Circulating basophils (BASO) and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were affected by the dietary treatment (p < 0.05). Plasmatic Se affected monocyte count, haematocrit, mean cell volume and mean cell haemoglobin concentration. Semen traits were not affected by the dietary treatment per se, except for mobile/progressive sperm cells (%) of stallions aged > 13 years marginal circulating levels of α-TOH (p = 0.04). Ameliorating the micromineral status showed to improve the haemogram of stallions in view of circulating levels of Cu. Semen quality appeared to be strongly dependent on animal effects.

A Fibre‐ vs. cereal grain‐based diet: Which is better for horse welfare? Effects on intestinal permeability, muscle characteristics and oxidative status in horses reared for meat production

“…However, taking into account scientific studies carried out on other species (Cardenia et al, 2011 ; Voljč et al, 2011 ), the α‐tocopherol levels—natural isoform of the fat‐soluble vitamin E group—in tissues and plasma were significantly influenced by the level of dietary supplementation, leading to higher stability of meat lipids. Moreover, Cappai, Pudda et al, ( 2020 ); Cappai, Taras et al, ( 2020 ) recommended to monitor the Vitamin E intake in the context of adequate feeding practices for health and welfare assessment. In particular, since α‐tocopherol is synthesised and stored chiefly in the green plants, the same authors suggested that a higher dietary intake of Vitamin E is important in stabled horses when they are fed on hay.…”

The Lipidomics of Spermatozoa and Red Blood Cells Membrane Profile of Martina Franca Donkey: Preliminary Evaluation

“…Nolazco Sassot et al, 2018, conducting a study on Thoroughbreds, indicate changes in specific plasma lipids through supramaximal exercise that could be useful to formulate a specific equine diet [13]. In this regard, the role of micronutrients was widely explored in prevention of fatty acid oxidation in all the membranes of the cellules [14]. There are only a few studies focusing on fatty acids, but they seem to be limited by either including a small number of samples or not always reporting the same cohort of fatty acids, focusing only on PUFAs (ω3 and ω6) and not considering the rest of the lipid classes [15].…”