Effect of Dietary Selenium and Vitamin E on Ganders’ Response to Semen Collection and Ejaculate Characteristics

Biological Trace Element Research, Jun 2013

Compared to other domestic bird species, geese exhibit the lowest reproductive efficiency (poor semen quality, low egg production, and poor fertility and hatchability rates). From an economic perspective, it is a necessity of improve these reproductive traits. Studies have demonstrated that the essential trace element—selenium—plays key roles in testicular development and the maintenance of spermatogenesis. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of feed supplementation with organic selenium and vitamin E on ganders’ response to manual semen collection and semen quality. Sixteen 3-year-old White Koluda ganders were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was provided commercial feed while the experimental group was provided with the same commercial feed supplemented with selenium (0.3 mg/kg) and vitamin E (100 mg/kg). The response of individual ganders from both groups to manual semen collection and the quality of the semen collected were evaluated. The supplements increased (P ≤ 0.05) the frequency and decreased the time interval of a complete ejaculatory response of the ganders to manual semen collections (82.7 % supplement vs. 73.5 % control). Males from the supplemented group had significantly higher (P ≤ 0.01; P ≤ 0.05) ejaculate volumes, sperm concentrations, and percentages of viable sperm and lower percentages of immature sperm (spermatids). Lipids peroxidation, expressed in terms of the malondialdehyde concentration, was lower (P ≤ 0.01) in semen of the supplemented group (0.172 nmol/50 × 106) as compared to the controls (0.320 nmol/50 × 106). Moreover, the duration of the reproductive period of the ganders in the experimental group was 1 week longer. The results show that supplemental dietary selenium and vitamin E improved both the ganders’ response to manual semen collection and semen quality. We conclude that such feed supplementation could lead to greater economic benefits through increased reproductive efficiency within the goose production industry.

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Effect of Dietary Selenium and Vitamin E on Ganders’ Response to Semen Collection and Ejaculate Characteristics

Anna Jerysz Ewa Lukaszewicz 0 ) Institute of Animal Breeding, Division of Poultry Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences , Chelmonskiego 38a, 51-630, Wroclaw, Poland Compared to other domestic bird species, geese exhibit the lowest reproductive efficiency (poor semen quality, low egg production, and poor fertility and hatchability rates). From an economic perspective, it is a necessity of improve these reproductive traits. Studies have demonstrated that the essential trace elementseleniumplays key roles in testicular development and the maintenance of spermatogenesis. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of feed supplementation with organic selenium and vitamin E on ganders' response to manual semen collection and semen quality. Sixteen 3-year-old White Koluda ganders were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was provided commercial feed while the experimental group was provided with the same commercial feed supplemented with selenium (0.3 mg/kg) and vitamin E (100 mg/kg). The response of individual ganders from both groups to manual semen collection and the quality of the semen collected were evaluated. The supplements increased (P0.05) the frequency and decreased the time interval of a complete ejaculatory response of the ganders to manual semen collections (82.7 % supplement vs. 73.5 % control). Males from the supplemented group had significantly higher (P0.01; P0.05) ejaculate volumes, sperm concentrations, and percentages of viable sperm and lower percentages of immature sperm (spermatids). Lipids peroxidation, expressed in terms of the malondialdehyde concentration, was lower (P0.01) in semen of the supplemented group (0.172 nmol/50 106) as compared to the controls (0.320 nmol/50 106). Moreover, the duration of the reproductive period of the ganders in the experimental group was 1 week longer. The results show that supplemental dietary selenium and vitamin E improved both the ganders' response to manual semen collection and semen quality. We conclude that such feed supplementation could lead to greater economic benefits through increased reproductive efficiency within the goose production industry. - White Koluda goose, derived from the wild Greylag (Anser anser L.) goose [1], constitutes more than 90 % of goose population in Poland and other European countries. The breeder flocks are usually kept for four seasons (from February through June, each season). However, while semen quality and fertility rates are acceptable at the onset of the breeding season, both gradually decline over the following months [24]. This may be a result of depressed semen quality, fewer natural matings, failure of the gander to respond to manual semen collections, or premature gonadal regression [57]. Compared to other poultry species, the reproductive efficiency of the domestic goose is poor due to the following: low male to female ratio (usually no more than three to four females per one male), low semen quality, low egg production, and low fertility and hatchability rates. Natural mating frequency and semen quality differs by gander [8]. During the spring months (MarchApril), 50 to 70 % of the ganders produce good quality ejaculates. This progressively decreases, and until late in the season, only 1734 % of ganders produce good quality semen [5, 6, 9, 10]. There are few publications addressing the issue of reproductive efficiency in geese. However, it is apparent that any improvement in the ganders reproductive performance would have a positive impact on goose production. Selenium and vitamin E are involved in many biochemical and physiological processes in human and animal organisms, including those related to reproduction [11]. Particularly relevant to semen quality is the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), a seleniumdependent enzyme that serves to protect cellular membranes and organelles from peroxidative damages [12]. Glutathione peroxidase assists in the maintenance of testicular function, spermatogenesis, spermatozoa functions [13], as well as testosterone biosynthesis [14]. Studies in mammals have shown that dietary addition of selenium increased male sexual activity manifested by significantly shortening mating and ejaculation times, as well as increased mating frequency [15]. Experiments with broiler breeders and quails indicated that semen quality, including an increase in the percentages of viable sperm and reductions in the percentages of dead and abnormal sperm, can be achieved by feed supplementation with selenium and vitamin E [1618]. Lipids associated with the sperm plasma membrane serve as a source of energy and are involved in many biochemical processes [19]. However, due to high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosatetraenoic and arachidonic acids in particular [11], the sperm plasma membrane is vulnerable to lipid peroxidation [20]. This process contributes to the loss of cell membrane fluidity and can (...truncated)


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Anna Jerysz, Ewa Lukaszewicz. Effect of Dietary Selenium and Vitamin E on Ganders’ Response to Semen Collection and Ejaculate Characteristics, Biological Trace Element Research, 2013, pp. 196-204, Volume 153, Issue 1-3, DOI: 10.1007/s12011-013-9652-5