China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine ›› 2023, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (7): 2755-2765.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2023.07.016

• Genetics and Breeding • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Coated Folic Acid and Coated Taurine on Semen Quality, Serum and Seminal Plasma Antioxidant Capacity and Hormone Level in Heat Stressed Rams

LEI Mingkai, BAN Bin, YIN Weiqi, ZHANG Junmei, SHI Panfeng, WANG Li, ZHOU Yang, ZHANG Chunxiang, LI Bibo   

  1. College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
  • Received:2022-11-17 Published:2023-06-30

Abstract: 【Objective】 This study was aimed to investigate the effects of coated folic acid (CFA) and coated taurine (CTau) on semen quality, antioxidant capacity and hormone level in serum and seminal plasma of the heat stressed rams, so as to provide a reference for the relief the heat stress and improvement of semen quality of rams in summer.【Method】 Twenty adult Dorper rams in good body condition with similar body weight and age were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups.The rams in control group were fed with the basal feed(0 mg/d CFA and CTau), the rams in CFA, CTau and CFA+CTau groups were fed the basal feed plus 291.6 mg/d CFA+0 g/d CTau, 0 mg/d CFA+2.916 g/d CTau, and 291.6 mg/d CFA+2.916 g/d CTau, respectively.The trial period was 75 d, with a pretrial period of 15 d and a regular trial period of 60 d.Blood and semen of ram were collected on the 60th day of the trial period, the semen quality indicators (sperm collection volume, sperm viability, sperm concentration, percentage of fast forward progressive motility of sperm, DNA integrity of sperm, plasma membrane integrity and sperm malformation rate), and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), the activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone(T), cortisol(COR), triiodothyronine(T3) and thyroxine(T4) in serum and seminal plasma were detected.【Result】 ①Dietary CFA and CTau had significant interaction effects on sperm viability (P<0.05), and had extremely significant interaction effects on sperm concentration, DNA integrity of sperm and plasma membrane integrity (P<0.01).Compared with control group, the sperm viability, sperm concentration, DNA integrity of sperm and plasma membrane integrity in CFA, CTau and CFA+CTau groups were extremely significantly increased (P<0.01), the sperm malformation rate in CTau and CFA+CTau groups were extremely significantly decreased (P<0.01).② Compared with control group, the MDA content of seminal plasma in CFA and CFA+CTau groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05), but the other antioxidant indexes had no significant effects (P>0.05).③ Dietary CFA and CTau had a significant interaction effect on COR level in seminal plasma (P<0.05).Compared with control group, the COR level of serum in CFA group and the T4 level of serum in CFA+CTau group were significantly increased (P<0.05), respectively, the LH level of seminal plasma in CTau and CFA+CTau groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05), the T3 level of seminal plasma in CFA, CTau and CFA+CTau groups were significantly increased (P<0.05).【Conclusion】 Dietary supplementation of CFA or CTau could improve the antioxidant capacity and hormone secretion levels, and improve the semen quality of heat stressed rams, and adding together were more effective.

Key words: rams; heat stress; coated folic acid (CFA); coated taurine (CTau); semen quality

CLC Number: