Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate sperm quality of bulls supplemented with selenium (Se) in the diet. Sixteen Brangus bulls were randomly divided in two groups: control (GC) and Se (GSe - 0.1mg Se/kg dietary DM). The experiment lasted 75 days and the animals were supplemented for 60 days. Four semen collections (0, 30, 60 and 75 days) per animal, were performed during the experimental period. Sperm motility and vigor, plasma membrane integrity and functionality (hyposmotic swelling test - HOST) and sperm viability and acrosome reaction (triple staining -TRI) were assessed. After immediate analysis, samples were diluted in Tris-egg yolk extender with 5% glycerol, packed (40x106 spermatozoa / straw), chilled, frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen until analysis. After thawing, sperm motility and vigor, HOST and TRI were performed. No significance was noticed on sperm vigor, HOST and TRI of fresh and post-thawed semen after dietary selenium supplementation. However, sperm motility decreased in GSe compared to GC in fresh (P = 0.0035) and post- thawed (P = 0.0067) semen samples after 60 days of supplementation. Therefore, dietary selenium supplementation was ineffective to improve semen parameters of fresh and post-thawed semen of Brangus bulls.
Keywords:
antioxidant; cryopreservation; spermatozoa