Effect of astaxanthin on the quality of boar sperm stored at 17°C, incubated at 37°C or under in vitro conditions

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the antioxidant astaxanthin on boar semen. Twenty ejaculates from 10 boars (two ejaculates/boar) were extended and split in three groups: semen control (SC), solvent control (C; semen with dimethyl sulfoxide, the diluent of astaxanthin) and semen with astaxanthin (A) in concentration 0.5 μmol/L. Sperm quality parameters (motility and kinetics, morphology, viability, functional integrity of sperm plasma membrane by Hypo-Osmotic Swelling Test [HOST] and DNA integrity) were assessed at 0, 24 and 48 hr of storage at 17°C (experiment I), before (0 hr) and after (1 hr) of sperm thermal resistance assay at 37°C (experiment II) and finally before (0 hr) and after (1 hr) sperm in vitro incubation (38.5°C, 5% CO , maximum humidity [experiment III]). In experiment I, group A performed overall better than group SC and as a tendency better than group C regarding viability. Total motility, rapid spermatozoa and HOST remained constant across time in group A, whereas they decreased in the remaining groups. In experiment II, regarding motility and viability, group A displayed better results across time than the other two groups. In experiment III, viability and total motility decreased in groups SC and C, while in group A, these parameters were not significantly different between the examination time points. In conclusion, astaxanthin has a beneficial and protective effect on boar semen quality under the investigated conditions.

The effect of astaxanthin supplementation on the post‐thaw quality of dog semen

“…The reported effects of AXN supplementation on sperm acrosomal integrity are variable. In boar (Basioura et al, 2018) and ram (Fang et al, 2015), AXN supplementation resulted in a milder or no significant increase in acrosomal integrity after cooled storage at 4°C, while dietary supplementation of AXN in men with infertility issues resulted in significant improvement of acrosomal integrity (Comhaire et al, 2005). However, another report showed that in low ROS conditions similar to capacitation, there was a reduction in acrosomal integrity (Dona et al, 2013).…”

“…Similarly, in rats, an AXN-supplemented diet significantly reduced the ROS level and increased sperm fertility through enhanced sperm viability, linearity and plasma membrane integrity (Comhaire et al, 2005;Mortazavi, Salehi, Alizadeh, Vahabian, & Roushandeh, 2014). AXN has been reported to effectively preserve the quality of cooled boar (Basioura, Boscos, Parrilla, Tsousis, & Tsakmakidis, 2018) and ram semen (Fang et al, 2015). Moreover, ANX enhanced the post-thaw sperm quality of boar (Lee & Kim, 2018) and bulls (Farzan, Chamani, & Varnaseri, 2014).…”

Antioxidant Effect of a Polyphenol-Rich Murtilla (Ugni molinaeTurcz.) Extract and Its Effect on the Regulation of Metabolism in Refrigerated Boar Sperm

“…The ability of antioxidant agents to control the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species on spermatozoa has been extensively investigated, to further their use as the main regulators of these oxidant molecules. However, the main focus of the present study was on sperm quality rather than the influence of antioxidant agents on metabolic functionality and sperm physiology [40–43]. Here, for the first time we evaluated the antioxidant and metabolic effects of murtilla as an antioxidant supplement in boar MR-A semen extender in an attempt to improve sperm refrigeration based on the behaviour of sperm metabolism.…”

Astaxanthin Ameliorates the Lipopolysaccharides-Induced Subfertility in Mouse via Nrf2/HO-1 Antioxidant Pathway

“…Basioura et al demonstrated the beneficial and protective effect of astaxanthin on boar semen quality under 17°C storage, 37°C and 38.5°Cin vitro incubation. 24 The nuclear transcription factor Nrf2 is one of the important antioxidant regulators involved in the maintenance of the redox state for the defense of intracellular oxidative stress. 25,26 Heme oxygenase 1, a phase II detoxifying enzyme regulated by Nrf2, has been reported to be a critical beneficial regulator in oxidative stress-induced diseases.…”