Effect of dietary n-3 fatty acids (fish oils) on boar reproduction and semen quality

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with different fish oils (rich in PUFA) vs. hydrogenated animal fat (SFA) on semen production and quality, fatty acid composition, and preservation properties in boars under controlled and commercial conditions. In Exp. 1 (...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of animal science 2010-07, Vol.88 (7), p.2346-2355
Main Authors:	Castellano, C.-A, Audet, I, Bailey, J.L, Chouinard, P.Y, Laforest, J.-P, Matte, J.J
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Animal productions Animal sciences Animals Biological and medical sciences Biotin - blood boars Body fluids Dietary Supplements fatty acid composition Fatty acids Fatty Acids - analysis Fatty Acids - blood Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - pharmacology Fish oils Fish Oils - pharmacology Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology germplasm conservation Hogs hydrogenated oils lipid content Male male fertility omega-3 fatty acids Reproduction - drug effects Reproduction - physiology Reproductive system semen Semen - drug effects Semen - physiology Semen Analysis - veterinary spermatozoa Spermatozoa - chemistry Superoxide Dismutase - analysis Swine - physiology swine feeding Terrestrial animal productions Vertebrates Vitamin E - analysis Vitamin E - blood
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with different fish oils (rich in PUFA) vs. hydrogenated animal fat (SFA) on semen production and quality, fatty acid composition, and preservation properties in boars under controlled and commercial conditions. In Exp. 1 (in a research station), 44 boars, allocated to 4 dietary treatments, received daily 2.5 kg of basal diet with a supplement of 1) 62 g of hydrogenated animal fat (AF, n = 12); 2) 60 g of menhaden oil containing 18% docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and 15% eicosapentanoic acid (EPA; MO, n = 11); 3) 60 g of tuna oil containing 33% DHA and 6.5% EPA (TO, n = 11); and 4) 60 g of menhaden oil and 2 mg/kg of biotin (MO+B, n = 10). Biotin is a critical factor in the elongation of PUFA. Semen was collected according to 3 successive phases: phase 1 (twice per week for 4 wk); phase 2 (daily collection for 2 wk); and phase 3 (twice per week for 10 wk). Experiment 2 was conducted in commercial conditions; 222 boars were randomly allocated to AF, MO, and TO treatments. Semen was collected twice weekly over a 6-mo period. All diets were balanced to be iso-energetic and provided an equivalent of 989 mg of vitamin E per day. Classical measurements of sperm quantity and quality were done for both experiments. Experiment 1 showed, after 28 wk of supplementation, a massive transfer of n-3 PUFA into sperm from boars fed fish oil diets (MO and TO). No differences were observed among dietary treatments for libido (P > 0.30), sperm production (P > 0.20), or percentage of motile cell (P > 0.20). Unexpectedly, MO+B diet reduced the percentage of normal sperm compared with the other treatments (P < 0.03). In conclusion, although it modified the fatty acid composition of sperm, supplementation of boars with dietary fish oils, rich in long chain n-3 fatty acids, did not influence semen production or quality postejaculation.
ISSN:	0021-8812 1525-3163