Hydroxy-selenomethionine as an organic source of selenium in the diet improves boar reproductive performance in artificial insemination programs

Abstract

This study aimed to compare different selenium (Se) sources in the diet on boar's semen quality and fertility. For this, 28 boars aged 8 to 28 months were fed with the following dietary treatments for 95 days: 0.3 mg Se/kg as sodium selenite (SS, n = 14) and 0.3 mg Se/kg as hydroxy-selenomethionine (OH-SeMet, n = 14). During this period, two experiments were carried out. In experiment 1, the semen of all boars was evaluated every 2 weeks. Raw semen was initially evaluated for the processing of seminal doses, which were stored at 17 °C for 72 h, followed by sperm quality assessments. Furthermore, Se concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were measured in the seminal plasma. In experiment 2, 728 females were inseminated weekly with seminal doses from boars of the different experimental groups to further assess in vivo fertility and litter characteristics. Results demonstrated that boars fed OH-SeMet had more Se in their seminal plasma (p < 0.05), showing the greater bioavailability of the organic source in the male reproductive system. Moreover, boars fed OH-SeMet tended (p < 0.10) towards a higher total sperm count in the ejaculate (66.60 vs. 56.57 × 10 9 sperm), and the number of seminal doses (22.11 vs. 18.86; 3 × 10 9 sperm/dose) when compared to those fed SS. No effect of the dietary treatments was observed on GPx activity in seminal plasma (p > 0.05), as well as on raw and stored semen quality (p > 0.05). Under in vivo conditions, seminal doses from boars fed OH-SeMet tended (p < 0.10) towards a higher pregnancy rate at weeks 3, 5, and 8, and also resulted in a higher (p < 0.05) percentage of pregnant females in the overall period (99.30 vs. 97.00). In conclusion, the replacement of SS with OH-SeMet in boars' diet can improve sperm production and results in better reproductive performance for them, bringing greater productivity and profitability to artificial insemination centers and commercial pig farms.

Selenium Nanoparticles as Potential Antioxidants to Improve Semen Quality in Boars

“…The findings of the current study are not fully supported by the results of the previous research of Petrujkić et al who found an increased GPx activity in boar seminal plasma after 90 days of supplementation at the dose of 0.3 mg/kg of sodium selenite [25]. In contrast, Pavaneli et al did not observe the effects of dietary Se treatments at the same doses on GPx activity in seminal plasma [26].…”

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

“…Selenium (Se) is recognized for its potent antioxidant activity and potential to enhance male mammalian fertility. 29 Previous animal studies have shown that Se supplement can improve the semen quality of mammals 30 and poultry 31 or alleviate stress-induced adverse effects on the semen quality. 32 Consistent with these findings, our study found that SeGlu supplementation for 30 days in rats improved the sperm motility and survival rate, with a significant improvement observed in the 0.15 mg Se per L group ( p < 0.05).…”

The effect of hydroxy‐selenomethionine on the productive and reproductive performance of old broiler breeders

“…Additionally, studies have shown that broiler breeders’ diets containing organic compounds high in Se may have positive effects on offspering during the rearing period (Zhang et al., 2014 ). Recently, a new source of stable organic selenium, which is a hydroxy analogue of selenomethionine, has been created and is used instead os selnomethionine, which is unstable and easily oxidized in each pure form (Pavaneli et al, 2021 ). The higher bioavailability of seleno‐amino acid composition compared to other organic or inorganic forms has been confirmed previously by Couloigner et al.…”