Impact of dietary feeding of vitamin E in buffalo bulls on fresh and frozen-thawed semen characteristics and antioxidant status

Abstract

Vitamin E is the main chain-breaking, naturally occurring free radical scavenger that has significant biological implications on sperm. However, its role as an antioxidant on semen quality of buffalo bulls is still obscure. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of dietary feeding of vitamin E on fresh- and frozen-thawed semen characteristics, and antioxidant status in buffalo bull. Six apparently healthy breeding Murrah buffalo bulls were randomly selected at University bull farm for the present study. The bulls were divided into two groups, viz. control group (n = 3) and feeding group (n = 3). The bulls of feeding group were fed vitamin E @ 4000 IU/bull/day for 60 days. Accordingly, 120 ejaculates (one ejaculate/bull/session) were collected from bulls of control and feeding groups during pre-feeding, feeding and post-feeding phase of vitamin E and analyzed for semen characteristics and oxidative stress. Most beneficial effects of dietary feeding of vitamin E were observed during post-feeding phase. The percentages of total and progressive motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in bulls fed with vitamin E were significantly higher than in their control counterparts during post-feeding phase of fresh and frozen-thawed semen. The levels of same parameters were also significantly higher as compared to that during feeding stage in fresh- and frozen-thawed semen of feeding group. It is therefore concluded that feeding vitamin E to buffalo bulls protected sperm membrane against oxidative damage and improved the fertilizing potential of spermatozoa.