Diet Supplemented with Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Probiotics Improves Sperm Quality after Only One Spermatogenic Cycle in Zebrafish Model

Abstract

Infertility is a medical concern worldwide and could also have economic consequences in farmed animals. Developing an efficient diet supplement with immediate effects on sperm quality is a promising tool for human reproduction and for domesticated animal species. This study aims at elucidating the effect of a short-time probiotic supplementation consisting of a mixture of two probiotic bacteria with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities on zebrafish sperm quality and male behavior. For this purpose, three homogeneous groups of males in terms of motility (<60%) were established. The control group was fed with a normal standard diet. The other received supplements: One group (vehicle control) was fed with maltodextrin and the other received a probiotic preparation based on a mixture (1:1) of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347. The feeding regime was 21 days corresponding with a single spermatogenesis in zebrafish. The preparation did not modify animal weight, positively affected the number of fluent males, increased sperm concentration, total motility, progressive motility, and fast spermatozoa subpopulations. Moreover, the animals fed with the supplement showed different behavior patterns compared to control groups. Our results suggest a diet-related modulation on the exploration activity indicating a lower stress-like conduct. The studied formulation described here should be considered as advantageous in male reproductive biotechnology.

Long Exposure to a Diet Supplemented with Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Probiotics Improves Sperm Quality and Progeny Survival in the Zebrafish Model

“…Supporting our hypothesis are some previous results from our group on the beneficial use of probiotics in the zebrafish model [26,28]. In the present study, two probiotic strains— Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347—were vehicled in maltodextrin and provided to young animals for a total period of 3.5 months (Figure 1).…”

“…This small vertebrate has been described as a versatile animal model for fertility research [16]. In light of the early evidence about the use of probiotics for infertility treatment [26,27,28] and the publication of a theory linking gut health with testicular function [29,30], we hypothesize that probiotic strains may have an effect on reproductive performance after a long exposure of ingestion in the animal production field. The microbiome (the genes and genomes of the microbiota, as well as the products of the microbiota and the host environment [31]) is crucial in several essential functions within the organism, including supporting digestion and metabolism, keeping the gut barrier integrity, producing vitamins, and maintaining the immune system [32,33].…”

Probiotics Dietary Supplementation for Modulating Endocrine and Fertility Microbiota Dysbiosis

“…These studies could also give some added value for comparing probiotic capacities of modulation during the intervention. Transversally, we found three interesting articles about sperm quality with three different outpoints: a decrease in the quality [38], zero negative effects [39] and an increase in the quality [40] with different probiotics administration pathways. The systematic review selected for comparison of the results analysed three articles focused on treatments of vaginal dysbiosis, and the achievement of reduction of colonisation by pathogenic bacteria [20].…”

“…They have been commonly approved for their history of safe use (Bacillus subtilis (DSM10), Bacillus clausii (DSM 8716), Bacillus coagulans (DSM 1), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (DSM 7) [75]. Moreover, Valcarce et al [40] studied in animal models the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347 on sperm quality finding an improvement of the parameters, these probiotics were selected because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities [40,76]. On the other hand, probiotics of the genus Bifidobacterium have been used for the treatment of PCOS, specifically the strain Bifidobacterium lactis V9, previously tested by Zhang et al [33] and selected for exhibiting excellent probiotic characteristics.…”

Nutrition, Microbiota and Noncommunicable Diseases

“…Probiotic supplementation, high-fat diet, use of anorexic mice, fiber, and soy intake and antihypertensive effect in metabolomics profiles were analyzed in these studies. Valcarce et al [12] reported the effect of a short-time probiotic supplementation consisting of a mixture of two probiotic bacteria with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities on zebrafish sperm quality and male behavior [12]. Hsu et al [13] examined the alterations of gut microbiota, mediation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and their receptors, and downregulation of nutrient-sensing signals effects in rats that received a high-fat diet.…”