Effect of Ascorbic Acid and/or Alpha-Tocopherol Fortification on Semen Quality, Metabolic Profile, Antioxidants Status, and Dna of Roosters Exposed to Heat Stress

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of heat stress (HS) and vitamin C (VC) and/or vitamin E (VE) on semen quality, biochemical constituents of seminal and blood plasma, antioxidant status and jejunum and ilium deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of roosters. Forty-five, 32-week-old roosters were divided into five groups of nine replicates. One group was kept under a thermoneutral environment, whereas the other four were kept under HS. One of the four groups served as an unsupplemented HS group and was fed the basal diet only. The other three HS groups were supplemented with VC (200 mg/kg ascorbic acid and/or VE 150 mg/kg α-tocopherol acetate). Vitamins fortification completely restored sperm liveability , semen pH, fertility, seminal plasma total protein and globulin to the control level. Vitamins fortification completely recovered seminal plasma and blood plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA), red blood cell (RBCs), haemoglobin (Hgb), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cells (WBCs), blood plasma glucose, lipid profiles, liver enzymes, and renal function. Heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio was totally restored following VE fortification. Vitamins fortification significantly increased jejunum and ileum DNA compared with the HS group, with VC inducing a complete recovery. In conclusion, either 200 mg /kg VC or 150 mg/kg VE improved semen quality, fertility, seminal plasma and blood biochemistry and haematology of HS roosters, with the VE group yielding greater immunity.

Growth Performance, Cytokine Expression, and Immune Responses of Broiler Chickens Fed a Dietary Palm Oil and Sunflower Oil Blend Supplemented With L-Arginine and Varying Concentrations of Vitamin E

“…This observation agrees with the findings of Emadi et al (48) who report that the supplementation of L-Arg had no effect on total protein but significantly increased the albumin concentration in blood plasma. Attia et al (49) report that heat stress negatively affected chicken immune status by decreasing the blood plasma protein, γ-globulin (innate immunity), and blood plasma albumin (non-specific immune protein), which was recovered by supplementation with Vit E alone or with a combination of Vit C. In the present study, greater levels of plasma albumin in broilers fed the combination of PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg + Vit E might be due to the greater body weight of broiler chickens in these groups, which had a higher concentration of plasma protein compared to lighter broilers in the control group; this suggests an increased demand for maintaining lean tissue growth. A synergistic effect of PO and SO blend, L-Arg, and Vit E was observed in blood plasma albumin (non-specific immune-protein), meat crude protein content, serum IgG and IgM level, and Vit E concentrations of meat, which could explain the superior performance of broilers in these treatment groups.…”

Enhancing in vitro oocyte maturation competence and embryo development in farm animals: roles of vitamin-based antioxidants – A review

“…α-tocopherol (Vit E) is a chief lipid-soluble compound, which has a potent role as an antioxidant agent in vitro and in vivo research to protect cells against ROS (Rush et al, 2014;Attia et al, 2017;2020a). Several experiments indicated that the incorporation of α-tocopherol into embryo culture media improved the bovine and porcine blastocyst quality and embryo development (Natarajan et al, 2010;Olson and Seidel Jr, 2000).…”

“…Accumulating evidence indicates that ascorbic acid plays a vital role in several biological processes, specifically maintenance of redox status in different biological systems . It can decrease ROS by acting as a powerful antioxidant (non-enzymatic function), and as a crucial cofactor to regulate the family of ferrous ions and 2-oxoglutarate (Fe2+ and 2-OG)-dependent dioxygenases (enzymatic function) (Camarena and Wang, 2016;D'Aniello et al, 2017;Attia et al, 2020a). In pig oocytes, Vit C can reprogram the methylation status of not only DNA and histones, but also RNA (Yu et al, 2018).…”