جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « Membrane Integrity » در نشریات گروه « علوم دام »

Fertility is one of the main factors influencing the economic result in poultry flocks and it is influenced by several variables including breed, nutrition quality, flock age and sperm quality. As a result, the decrease in the fertility of beef mother herds after the peak of production is one of the most important factors in reducing the economic profit of breeding units. It has been shown that fertility decline at the end of the productive period can be partially prevented through artificial insemination. The requirement for optimal use of artificial insemination in any species is the possibility of storing sperm in liquid and frozen form. Fertility rate of poultry sperm in frozen conditions is facing a serious challenge compared to other species, this challenge may be related to some special physiological characteristics of rooster sperm that lead to increased sensitivity in frozen conditions. Ginger is a plant that has strong antioxidant substances, which increases the level of antioxidant enzymes and collects free radicals and protects the cell membrane against the risk of oxidation and peroxidation of fats. The main antioxidant compounds in ginger are gingerols, sesquiterpenes, shogaols and some phenolic ketone derivatives, which have the ability to neutralize superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. This evidence shows that adding ginger powder to the diet of broilers can improve the quality of sperm after thawing and increase the fertility rate by improving the antioxidant properties of semen and protecting sperm from damage caused by freezing-thawing. In this research, twenty-seven Ras 308 breeding broilers were tested in the southern desert research farm in collaboration with Khuzestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.  At the age of 47 weeks, the sows were habituated for two weeks in individual cages and fed with basic ration and abdominal rubbing method for sperm collection. From the age of 49 to 60 weeks for 12 weeks, the sows were fed with a basic diet (control group) or diets with different levels of ginger powder (treatment groups) and kept at a temperature of 19-23 degrees Celsius and a photoperiod of 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness.  Experimental treatments included: control diet (no feeding of ginger powder), daily feeding of 7.5 grams of ginger powder and daily feeding of 15 g of ginger powder per kg of diet. During the test period, sperm samples were collected weekly by abdominal rub method and after initial evaluation, from the age of 51 weeks, they were frozen, and the quality parameters of semen, including total and progressive aspect, plasma membrane function, sperm viability and morphology after thawing were evaluated. took Frozen semen samples from weeks 59 and 60 were inoculated into broiler hens to evaluate sperm fertility after thawing. The effect of treatment and test weeks on most of the parameters measured including total and progressive motility, viability and function of sperm plasma membrane was significant. The interaction of treatment and test weeks significantly affected overall and progressive behavior, but its effect on survival tended to be significant. The effects of treatment, week and the interaction of treatment in week had no significant effect on the percentage of abnormal sperms. The study by Shafiq et al. (2015) improved the storage of rooster sperm using rosemary essential oil after the freezing and thawing process; The results of the research showed that the use of rosemary essential oil in the diluent improves the quality of rooster sperm, which is consistent with the present research.  Ginger comprises essential antioxidant compounds such as gingerols, sesquiterpenes, shogaols, and certain phenolic ketone derivatives. These compounds possess the remarkable ability to neutralize superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, contributing to their sustained antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase plays a crucial role in safeguarding sperm in the tissues of the testis and epididymis. A decline in the levels of this enzyme within the body has been associated with infertility. Recognizing the significance of these antioxidant components and enzymes underscores their continuous impact on maintaining reproductive health. By being placed in the sperm plasma membrane, this enzyme protects the sperm nucleus and epididymal fluid from the attack of free radicals and causes the final swelling and development of sperms. Fertility percentage and sperm yield in chicks of hens fed with 7.5 and 15 g/kg of ginger powder in the diet increased significantly compared to the control group. Among the sperm parameters, sperm motility and viability are considered to be the most important factors influencing sperm transfer to SSTs; In this research, the total and progressive motility and survival were increased in the groups of 7.5 and 15 grams per kg of diet, which can be the reasons for increasing the fertility and hatching of chicks in these groups. In a research by Masoudi et al. (2021), they investigated the effect of milk thistle, carob and ginger on the reproductive performance of Ras breed broilers and reported that supplementing the diet with plant additives significantly improved the quality of sperm and fertility of the sows compared to the control group. In generally, the results of the present study showed that the addition of 7.5 and 15 g per kg of ginger powder in the diet significantly increased the total and progressive motility, the integrity and function of the plasma membrane, and finally, the fertility and egg retrieval of sperm after thawing.

The Artificial insemination technique is based on sperm cryopreservation that induces irreversible damages to sperm (Purdy 2006), which may result in loss of sperm motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, and ultimately male fertility (Baghshahi et al. 2014). Physical and chemical damages during cryopreservation are associated with significant amounts of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation of the phospholipids in the membrane by free radicals (Chatterjee et al. 2001). The removal of ROS is catalyzed by antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Numerous non-enzymatic defenses (vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione (GSH)) are also employed to provide protection. An imbalance between free radical production and their removal results with ageing allowing progressive damage to occur. Therefore, for protecting the sperm against oxidative damage, numerous researchers have investigated the effects of a various synthetic and natural antioxidants on spermatozoa during cryopreservation processes (Malo et al. 2010). Various plant products contain antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, xanthons, phenolics, lignans and terpenoids. For this reason, there is a growing interest in using them as natural antioxidants. Several studies have shown that the use of herbal antioxidants during the freezing-thawing process of sperm had positive effects on sperm quality (Daghigh Kia et al. 2016; Vahedi et al. 2018). The herb of costmary (Tanacetum balsamita L.) contains phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids (Shahhoseini et al. 2019). It has been shown that costmary exhibit antioxidant effects due to phenolic compounds (Bączek et al. 2017).

The aim of current study was to evaluate the effect of Costmary extract as a natural antioxidant on post-thawed ram sperm quality.

This study was performed at the Iranian Moghani sheep Breeding Center located in Jafarabad city, Province Ardebil, Iran. Four mature and fertile rams (3-4 years old, mean live weight of 70±4.2 kg), were used in this study. Ejaculates were collected twice a week for 8 weeks by an artificial vagina (42-43°C). Only samples containing spermatozoa with greater than 70% motility were accepted for experiment. To eliminate individual differences, semen samples were pooled and processed for extending. The pooled ejaculate was diluted (37 ◦C) using egg yolk-citrate extender containing different concentrations of Tanacetum balsamita extract (0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 mL/dL). Diluted semen samples were aspirated into 0.25 ml straws and equilibrated at 4°C for 3 h. After equilibration, the straws were placed on liquid nitrogen (LN2) vapor for 8 min, then plunged into liquid nitrogen, and stored in a liquid nitrogen tank until thawed and used for evaluation of sperm parameters. The frozen straws were thawed individually in a water bath (37 ◦C) for 30 s for evaluation. A computer-assisted sperm analysis (HFT CASA, Hooshmand Fanavar Tehran Co, Iran) was used to analyze sperm motility and velocity characteristics. Sperm viability was assessed using a modification of the eosin-nigrosin staining method described by Evans and Maxwell (1987). Sperm membrane functionality was evaluated using the hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) (Revell and Mrode, 1994). For the assessment of the sperm morphology abnormalities, at least three drops of each sample were added to Eppendorf tubes containing 1 ml of Hancock solution (62.5 ml formalin (37%), 150 ml sodium saline solution, 150 ml buffer solution and 500 ml bi-distilled water). The prepared slides were assessed by phase-contrast microscopy using a 400× magnification. All data were analyzed by completely randomized design using the GLM procedure of SAS version 9.1 (SAS Institute, 2004).

Samples cryopreserved in 8 and 12 mL/dL Tanacetum balsamita extract had higher total motility and progressive motility compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The percentage of VSL, VCL and VAP were higher (p < 0.05) in the extender containing 8 and 12 mL/dL extract compared to control and 16 mL/dL groups. LIN parameter was higher (p < 0.05) in 8 mL/dL compared to 16 mL/dL extract (46.83±3.82 vs. 40.52±3.23). For parameter STR, the highest value (p < 0.05) was observed at 8 and 12 mL/dL of extract (81.09±7.56% and 80.27±7.18%, respectively). The highest (p < 0.05) percentage of sperm viability and plasma membrane integrity were observed in groups containing 8 and 12 mL/dL extract. Percentage of acrosome abnormality was higher (p < 0.05) in 12 mL/dL extract groups (21.25%) compared to control and 2 mL/dL extract groups (26.70% and 27.23%, respectively). Some studies have reported that herbal antioxidants reduce the free radicals following the freeze–thawing process (Ashrafi et al. 2013). In the present study, treatment of costmary extract resulted in a significant improvement in motility parameters, viability and membrane integrity of frozen-thawed ram sperm. The main constituents found in the herb of costmary extract are polyphenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids (Faraloni, 2018). Among flavonoids there are mainly glycosides of luteolin, apigenin and quercetin while phenolic acids are represented mainly by chlorogenic, caffeic and dicaffeoylquinic acids. The attacks of ROS during cryopreservation lead to reduction of oxygen and it is related to lipids peroxidation of the sperm membranes that destroys the structure of the lipid matrix. Flavonoids increase membranes integrity by preventing of free radicals production and lipid peroxidation in the membrane that induce oxidative damage to the membrane components (Daghigh Kia et al. 2016). Therefore, costmary extract may play a protective role against oxidative damage and scavenge produced free radicals from cells.

In conclusion, this study showed that supplementation of extender with 12 mL/dL Tanacetum balsamita L. extract has a beneficial effect on the quality of frozen-thawed ram semen.

Semen collection evaluation and addition of preservatives to increase storage period of sperm are essential for successful artificial insemination. Cryopreservation of spermatozoa is becoming more important because of new clinical requirements and current clinical practice. Although frozen-thawed semen has great practical benefits for reproduction, it is widely reported that the cryopreservation process involving cooling, freezing, and thawing induces serious detrimental changes in sperm functions. The viability, motility and membrane integrity of mammalian spermatozoa decrease during the cryopreservation process. Many studies exist as regards the effects of antioxidants on the cryopreservation aimed at improving the quality of post-thaw semen. Antioxidant molecules could decrease the impact of oxidative stress and therefore improve Sperm quality following the freeze–thawing process. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), a derivative of tryptophan, is mainly synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland during the night in reaction to changes in light levels. Melatonin can stimulate the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and GSH-Px. melatonin scavenges a variety of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in vivo and in vitro, signifying it has a powerful non-enzymatic antioxidant property. It has been shown that the spermatozoa undergo a freeze–thawing process produced high concentrations of reactive oxygen species. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects different levels of melatonin supplementation (0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mM/ml) in extender on semen characteristics the Arabic ram after freezing-thawing. This research was performed at Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan in the fall in 2015. Semen samples were collected from 6 Arabic ram with an average weight 73 ± 3 kg by electro ejaculator twice a week. Sperm samples motility were assessed by Computer Aided
Sperm Analysis (CASA) after freezing and thawing. The pH, viability, abnormal sperm percentage, membrane integrity and total antioxidant capacity were also assessed after freezing-thawing process. Pearson correlation test was used to assess correlation of melatonin with routine sperm parameters (pH, viability, abnormal sperm percentage, membrane integrity and total antioxidant apacity of plasma). Data analysis was performed using SAS software. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results and Discussion the Results of this experiment showed that the diluent of ram semen containing 0.5 mM/ml of melatonin improved the motility, membrane integrity and viability of Arabic ram spermatozoa compared to the control. The total antioxidant capacity was highest in diluent contained whit 1 mM/ml of melatonin. The effect of melatonin on the pH of semen at all levels was not significant. Cryopreservation causes an irreversible damage to enzymatic activity and sperm organelles leading to a reduction in the sperm kinetic parameters. Composition of extender may also affect the freeze ability of spermatozoa and their fertilizing ability. Many studies reported that melatonin has beneficial effects on preservation of mammalian sperm function and improves the microscopic parameters of spermatozoa. Melatonin supplementation to ram semen freezing extender protected spermatozoa from the cryopreservation injuries, as proved by post-thaw viability, motility, intracellular ATP concentrations, DNA integrity, and fertilizing ability. It is suggested that melatonin stimulates the activities of antioxidant enzymes. In consequence, melatonin reduces the number of free radicals, ROS, and also may increases the production of molecules protecting sperm cells against oxidative stress. As a conclusion, supplementation of melatonin in the freezing medium can counteract the adverse effects of the freeze–thawing process on the motility, viability, normal morphology and plasma membrane integrity in ram spermatozoa. The results were suggested that the protective effects of melatonin on spermatozoa were associated with a reduction in LPO as a consequence of increasing the TAC and antioxidant enzymes activity. Cryopreservation of sperm is an applicable technique in infertility management but it may influence the post-thaw qualities of sperm, including morphology, motility, viability and DNA integrity. In this research, we show that supplementation of cryopreservation extenders with melatonin provide a cryoprotective effect on pH, viability, abnormal sperm percentage, membrane integrity and total antioxidant capacity. Overall addition of 0.5 mM/ml of melatonin to the extender improved the most of spermatozoa quality characteristics as well as total antioxidant capacity of semen after freezing-thawing process in Arabic ram. In the current study, we observed no correlation between melatonin and pH, viability, abnormal sperm percentage, membrane integrity and total antioxidant capacity of plasma.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of α-tocopherol, BSA and vitamin C on different caprine sperm parameters following incubation at 5 °C for 48 h. The treatments were as follows: 5 and 10 IU/ml of α-tocopherol, 4 and 8 mg/ml of BSA, as well as 3 and 6 mg/ml of vitamin C, and control group without any antioxidant. Total sperm motility, progressive motility and HOS test were assessed at h 0, 24 and 48. Using 4 mg of BSA and 5 IU of vitamin E increased sperm motility and plasma membrane integrity compared to other antioxidants (P