Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Professor. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
2
Associate Professor, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
3
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz
4
Associate Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
5
Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Semen cooling storage is an effective way to preserve spermatozoa for reproductive goals, but sperm membrane contains high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that easily undergo lipid peroxidation (LPO) in presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Sperm cooling medium supplementation with protective components is a suitable strategy to save sperm viability during cooling storage. Zinc is a cofactor in wide range of enzymes and plays important roles in cellular functions. goat's semen medium supplementation with NZnO decreases deleterious effects through free radicals scavenging and it is able to stabilize sperm DNA. Different studies have reported the potential of Zn for sperm motility and viability improvement via ROS scavenging in different species. Seminal plasma contains high levels of Zn that shows its importance about sperm protection. Moreover, Zn is an essential part of the structure of different anti-oxidative enzymes that have DNA-repairing roles. On the other hand, Zn deficiency is associated with production of oxidizing compounds that causing to cellular damage. NZn is efficiently used to improve semen quality.
Materials and Methods: Semen samples were collected from Saanen bucks and pooled. The pooled semen was diluted with an extender and divided into five equal aliquots. Each aliquot was supplemented with 0 (control), 50, or 100 µM zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs), or 50 and 100 µM zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), and then stored at 4 °C for 48 h. Total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), viability, plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity potential (MAP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were evaluated at 0, 24, and 48 h of storage.
Results: At the beginning of storage (0 h), no significant differences were observed among the treatments in terms of semen quality parameters (P > 0.05). However, after 24 and 48 h of storage, supplementation with 50 and 100 µM ZnNPs or ZnONPs resulted in significantly higher TM, PM, membrane integrity, and sperm viability compared with the control and other treatments (P < 0.05). Similarly, at 24 and 48 h, sperm samples treated with 50 and 100 µM ZnNPs or ZnONPs exhibited higher MAP values than the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the addition of 50 and 100 µM ZnNPs or ZnONPs significantly reduced MDA levels after 24 and 48 h of storage compared with the other treatments (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Zinc and zinc oxide nanoparticles, due to their antioxidant properties, can mitigate oxidative stress during the cooling of goat semen and may serve as effective additives in extenders to protect sperm quality during liquid storage.
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