Evaluation of the ratio of ω6 : ω3 fatty acids and vitamin e levels in the diet on the reproductive performance of cockerels

Abstract

Three hundred and twenty 30-week old White Leghorn cockerels were housed in individual cages and distributed in a completely randomized factorial design of 5 x 3, with five oil sources (sunflower, soybean, canola, linseed and fish/soybean) and three levels of antioxidant (30, 200 and 400 mg of vitamin E/kg). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the ratio of omega6: omega3 fatty acids by the inclusion of different oil sources and of dietary supplementation with vitamin E on the reproductive performance of cockerels. The use of the fish/soybean combination determined the lowest total antioxidant status of the semen. However, the addition of vitamin E to the fish/soybean-oil-based diet resulted in a linear increase in semen volume, motility and sperm vigour in the 38th week and again in the 52nd week for motility and for sperm vigour and fertility rate in the periods from 50-53 and 41-53 weeks of age. The use of canola oil in the diet resulted in the highest fertility rate during 50-53 and 41-53 weeks of life. Animals receiving the soybean oil based diet showed the smallest fertility rate in the range from 50-53 weeks of age and concomitantly the highest level of cholesterol in the spermatozoa in the range from 47-51 weeks. An interaction between the vitamin E level and soybean oil was verified by the linear increase in motility and sperm vigour at 38 weeks of age. Later, the contrary was shown by a linear reduction in fertility in the periods from 44-46, 47-49 and 41-53 weeks of age. Cockerels that had been fed on the sunflower-oil-based diet showed the highest content of saturated fatty acids in the spermatozoa from 48-51 weeks. An interaction effect was observed between the vitamin E level and sunflower oil shown by a linear increase in the content of saturated fatty acids in the spermatozoa and a linear reduction in the C18: 1omega9, C18 :2 omega6 and PUFA (C18 : 2omega6 + C20 : 4omega6) contents in the spermatozoa at 48-51 weeks and in sperm volume at 52 weeks of age.

The influence of inclusions of vitamin E and corn oil on semen traits of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

“…Experiments on chickens have shown that feeding more PUFAs in the diet reduced the antioxidant status and quality of the semen (sperm concentration, semen volume). The importance of lipid peroxidation in this context was suggested by the ability of Vit.E, a chain breaking antioxidant, to reverse the negative impact of PUFA supplementation ( [Zanini et al, 2003] and [Cerolini et al, 2005]). …”

Effects of Dietary Vitamin E on Fertility Functions in Poultry Species

“…In a study by Surai and colleagues [31], six-month-old male Rhode Island Red chickens were fed with a diet containing 0, 20, 200, or 1000 mg/kg α-tocopheryl acetate for eight weeks. During the final two weeks, they observed that the concentration of vitamin E in semen and sperms had doubled, and the susceptibility of the semen to lipid peroxidation was decreased, in particular in birds fed with 200 mg/kg of vitamin E. In another study [33], 30-week-old WL roosters were fed with a basal diet high in fish/soybean oil and with or without supplementation of vitamin E (30, 200, or 400 mg/kg). After 38 weeks, the roosters fed with fish/soybean oil showed the lowest total antioxidant status in the semen.…”

Fat-1 transgenic cattle as a model to study the function of ω-3 fatty acids

“…With regard to male fertility, PUFAs are essential by virtue of their ability to confer upon the sperm plasma membrane the fluidity it needs to achieve fertilization. Experiments on chickens have shown that feeding more PUFAs in the diet reduced the antioxidant status and quality of the semen [81]. …”