169 l-Carnitine dietary supplementation improved the quality of dairy goat semen collected during the breeding season

C. Henry; R. Narlagiri; R. Kolikapongu; A. Miller; B. Kouakou; M. Singh; A. M. Shahat; N. C. Whitley; I. A. Polejaeva; A. R. Moawad

doi:10.1071/RDv37n1Ab169

RESEARCH ARTICLE

169 l-Carnitine dietary supplementation improved the quality of dairy goat semen collected during the breeding season

C. Henry ^A , R. Narlagiri ^A , R. Kolikapongu ^A , A. Miller ^A , B. Kouakou ^A , M. Singh ^A , A. M. Shahat ^A , N. C. Whitley ^A , I. A. Polejaeva ^B and A. R. Moawad ^A

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Animal Science Program, College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA, USA

^B Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 37, RDv37n1Ab169 https://doi.org/10.1071/RDv37n1Ab169

AI is known to have a potential impact on goat reproduction. Low fertility rates in goats following AI are associated with their semen quality, which is affected by different factors including breed, collection method, male diet, and freezing procedures. l-Carnitine (LC) is a naturally occurring compound that is recognized for its antioxidant properties, which protect sperm cells from oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species. By reducing oxidative stress, LC may help preserve sperm viability and prevent DNA damage, thus improving the quality of the semen. The effects of LC on semen quality have been reported in various species, but little is known about the effects on goat semen. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of LC dietary supplementation on the quality of goat semen collected during the breeding season. Six mature Alpine bucks were randomly assigned into two treatment groups (three bucks were fed a regular diet with the addition of LC at 0.0022 g kg⁻¹ of bodyweight), and control (three bucks were fed a regular diet without LC). Both feeding trials lasted 60 days from October to December (breeding season). Semen was collected from the bucks once per week by electroejaculation and then diluted with AndroMed® extender (Minitube). Sperm cell concentration and motility were evaluated by computer-assisted sperm analysis. Sperm viability and abnormalities were evaluated by eosin-nigrosin stain. A hypo-osmotic swelling test assessed membrane integrity. Acrosome status was determined by staining of sperm with FITC/PNA. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results showed that sperm cell concentrations (1.6 ± 0.07 × 10⁹ mL⁻¹ vs. 1.4 ± 0.3 × 10⁹ mL⁻¹), motility (74.6 ± 4.0% vs. 48.2 ± 2.4%), viability (75.0 ± 1.17% vs. 48.9 ± 0.9%), membrane (77.4 ± 2.5% vs. 62.4 ± 2.5%), and acrosome (68.2 ± 1.3% vs. 32.8 ± 3.0%) integrities were higher (P ≤ 0.05) in the LC group compared with the control group, respectively. However, sperm abnormalities were lower (P ≤ 0.05) in the LC group. In conclusion, feeding male goats with LC during the breeding season improved their semen quality.