engleski

Fatty acid composition in semen of boars

Spermatozoa reproductive function depends on the composition and ratio of lipids which are essential for membrane fluidity, acrosome reaction, and thus sperm fertility competence. The objective of this study was to determine boar seminal plasma and spermatozoa fatty acid composition (FA). The study was performed on two boar breeds: German Landrace (N = 7) and Pietrain (N = 5). Samples of semen (sperm rich fraction) were taken using a single phantom. The semen samples were centrifuged in iodixanol density solution to obtain two sperm fractions. The two fractions included sperms with motility greater than 90% (live) and less than 20% (dead), respectively. Total lipids in the seminal plasma and two subpopulations of spermatozoa were extracted and, after transmetilation, the composition of FA methyl esters was determined by gas chromatography. The seminal plasma and spermatozoa of boars were dominated by saturated fatty acids, and the most common was palmitic acid (C16). Monosaturated fatty acids were the second most represented, with oleic acid (C18:1c11) in the highest percentage. The least represented were polyunsaturated fatty acids with α-linoleic acid (C18:3n3) in seminal plasma, and linoleic acid (C18:2c/t) in spermatozoa as the most common. The fatty acid compositions in seminal plasma showed no signifcant differences between breeds (P>0.05). In the German Landrace subpopulation of live spermatozoa a higher percentage of C14 was determined in comparison to the Pietrain boars (P<0.05). Also, a lower percentage of C18:3n3 was measured in the population of dead German Landrace spermatozoa (P<0.05). The subpopulation of live spermatozoa in the Pietrain breed showed a higher percentage of C16 and C18, and a lower percentage of C16:1c and C17 FA, compared with the dead spermatozoa (P<0.05). The subpopulation of live German Landrace spermatozoa showed a higher percentage of C16, C18, C18:3n3 and C24:1 compared to the dead spermatozoa (P<0.05). Furthermore, in live spermatozoa a lower percentage of C16:1, C18:2, C20:1, C20:4n6 was determined compared to the dead spermatozoa (P<0.05). On the basis of these results it may be concluded that lower sperm motility and thus fertility competence may be caused among other things by the composition of fatty acids.

fatty acid composition, boars, semen

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