The Effect of Adding Different Levels of Curcumin and Its Nanoparticles to Extender on Post-Thaw Quality of Cryopreserved Rabbit Sperm

Abstract

The cryopreservation process adversely affects sperm function and quality traits, causing some changes at biochemical and structural levels, due to mechanical, thermal, osmotic, and oxidative damage. Supplementation with curcumin nanoparticles could prevent and even revert this effect and could enhance the post/thawed sperm quality in the rabbit. The study amid to explore the effect of curcumin (CU) and curcumin nanoparticles (CUNPs) supplementation in semen extender on post/thawed rabbit sperm quality. Twelve fertile, healthy rabbit bucks were included, and the ejaculates were collected using artificial vaginas. Rabbit pooled semen was cryopreserved in tris-yolk fructose (TYF) extender without any supplement (control group) or extender supplemented with CU at levels of 0.5, 1 or 1.5 µg/mL (CU0.5, CU1.0, and CU1.5, respectively) or CUNPs at levels of 0.5, 1, 1.5 (CUNPs0.5, CUNPs1.0, and CUNPs1.5, respectively) and was packed in straws (0.25 mL) and stored in liquid nitrogen (−196 °C). Results revealed that CUNPs1.5 had a positive influence (p < 0.05) on post-thawing sperm progressive motility, viability, and membrane integrity as compared with the other groups. Percentages of dead sperm, abnormalities, early apoptotic, apoptotic, and necrotic sperm cells reduced (p < 0.05) in CUNPs1.5 as compared to other treatments. Using 1.5 µg/mL of CUNPs significantly improved total antioxidant capacity (TAC), GPx, while MDA and POC reduced (p < 0.05) in CU1.5 in comparison with other groups. SOD values were enhanced (p < 0.05) in CUNPs1.0 and CUNPs1.5 in relation with other treatments. Conclusively, the addition of curcumin and its nanoparticles to the extender can improve the post-thawed quality of rabbit sperm via redox signaling and reduce the apoptosis process.

Strategies for Highly Efficient Rabbit Sperm Cryopreservation

“…Zhu and colleague investigated the effects of supplementation of amin E analogue [ 64 ], cysteine [ 65 ], glutamine [ 66 ], trehalose [ 67 ] and melatonin [ 68 ], and revealed that supplementation of these antioxidative agents in Tris-citrate-glucose extender decreased ROS levels and improved the quality of frozen–thawed rabbit sperms. Fadl et al confirmed 1.0 mM melatonin improved the motility, viability, membrane and acrosome integrities, and DNA integrity of frozen–thawed rabbit sperms in different extender (INRA-82) [ 69 ] Additionally, curcumin and curcumin nanoparticles were confirmed to improve the post-thawed quality of rabbit sperms via redox signaling and reduce the apoptosis process [ 70 ]. On the other hand, Maya-Soriano et al reported that supplementation of bovine serum albumin, retinol and retinyl in the sperm freezing extender has no beneficial effect on the viability, mortality, progressivity, and acrosome and morphological integrity of frozen–thawed rabbit sperms at the concentrations they tested [ 71 ].…”

A Polyphenol-Rich Extract From Entada abyssinica Reduces Oxidative Damage in Cryopreserved Ram Semen

“…This emphasizes the importance of supplementing the freezing media with added antioxidants that would minimize the negative effect of ROS and maintain the quality of postthawed sperm (13). In this regard, different types of supplements are added to the freezing media as protective agents; however, antioxidants of natural origin are of special interest in this concern (14)(15)(16).…”

The Role of Selected Natural Biomolecules in Sperm Production and Functionality

“…In vitro processing and storage of semen leads to additional mechanical, thermal, osmotic, and oxidative stress inflicted on male gametes, which builds up a foundation for studies investigating the potential of CUR as an alternative supplement to semen extenders and cryopreservation media. According to an array on studies, CUR acted as an effective promoter of sperm motility in extended or cryopreserved rat [187], boar [188], bull [189], ram [190], rabbit [191], and human semen [192]. Furthermore, it was observed that CUR supplementation to semen extenders may lead to a lower percentage of alterations to the membrane integrity and acrosome stability [189,190,193,194] while the molecule exhibits a significant protection to the sperm mitochondrial activity, and thus enables a prolongation of the sperm vitality during liquid storage or cryopreservation [187,189,190].…”