Effect of rosemary leaf powder on sperm motility parameters and acrosome integrity in rooster under heat stress condition

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Leyla Seyfi ¹
• Saied Mohammadzadeh ²
• Mosayeb Amiri ³

¹ Stuff of Jahad Keshavarzi of Khoramabad, Iran

² Department – School of Agriculture, Lorestan university, Khoramabad, Iran

³ Department – School of Agriculture, Lorestan university, Khoramabad, Iran.

Abstract

Keywords

• Acrosome integrity
• Heat stress
• Rooster
• Rosemary leaf powder

Main Subjects

• Animal Physiology

Extended Abstract

Introduction

Oxidative stress plays a key role in sperm structure and function, semen quality and fertility. In poultry industries lipid peroxidation increases under chronic heat stress, particularly when the temperature exceeds 27 °C. In this situation, some practices are taken. One of important action is using pharmacological plant because of the lowest side effects. There is an increasing interest for applying natural antioxidants compare to synthetic because of the safety and low toxicity problems. The pharmacological plant generally used among foods. The use of natural antioxidant decreases sperm disorders and increases fertility. The rosemary has biological antioxidant mechanisms and belonging to thorny pharmacological plant, which is widely distributed in Europe and South-Eastern Asia. It has used in traditional medicine for its therapeutic properties. The Rosemarinus officinalis L. an evergreen perennial aromatic shrub belonging to the family Labiatae, commonly called rosemary. The rosemary is commonly used as a spice and flavoring agent in food processing. The rosemary contains some antioxidant phenolic that have been shown to provide a defense against oxidative stress from oxidizing agents and free radicals. The antioxidant capacity of rosemary is mainly related to the presence of components like carnosol, rosmanol, isorosmanol, epirosmanol, carnosic and rosmarinic acids. The antioxidant capacity of sperm is low, but enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in the seminal plasma protect sperm by scavenging the reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Materials & Methods

    This experiment was conducted to investigate semen characteristics of rooster semen through feeding with rosemary leaf powder under heat stress. In starting of experiment fresh rosemary leaves were collected, cleaned, sliced, dried and milled, then stored (22–25 °C) in plastic bags. The forty native healthy and fertile roosters aged (42 weeks) and weighted (2.3 ± 0.1 kg) were selected. The photometer and thermometer device were used for adjust the temperature and light automatically. The roosters were fed a basic diet pellet feed (120 g per animal) containing 2780 cal / kg of metabolizable energy and 12.5% protein. The rooster access to water.  The animals were designed factorial with two factors and two levels including temperature (20-23 control and 28-30◦C) and rosemary leaf powder including (control (0) and rosemary 7.5 gr/kg of ration) in a randomized complete design with ten replication. The experimental and acclimatization period were 7 and 2 weeks respectively. To accustom the roosters to semen ejaculation, two back-abdominal rubs   were performed   every week. Semen samples transferred immediately after collection to the laboratory for semen analysis. Semen parameters were evaluated motility, viability (CASA parameters), abnormality and acrosome integrity. The data of experiment considered using SPSS statistical software analysis.

Results

   The rosemary leaf powder increased motile sperm type C significantly. The heat stress significantly decreased sperm motility type A and viability but sperm abnormality was increased. In heat stress condition rosemary leaf powder (7.5 g/kg in basal ration) due to antioxidant compounds protected the acrosome and some motile parameters. The heat stress negatively affects in some semen parameters. In this study, we demonstrate that heat stress negatively affected fertility and acrosome integrity. The rosemary leaf powder alone showed promising relieving effects. Although heat stress reduced the effect of rosemary leaf powder on the motility, but using leaf powder in diet under optimal temperature conditions improved the motility rate (76.6%). The rearing roosters in optimal temperature conditions and using rosemary leaf powder increased the rate of rapid and progressive sperm movements (Type A). The addition of rosemary extract in the extender also had significant and positive effects, in this reason application of rosemary extract in the goat, ram, mouse and rabbit increased sperm motility and semen quality. The use of rosemary leaf powder containing antioxidants can somehow reduce ROS and lead the system towards balance. The use of rosemary essential oil in the diet of rooster broiler lines was able to increase semen parameters such as the sperm head movement, the speed of sperm in a straight line and the average speed in a straight line, membrane activity, the percentage of total motile sperm and viability. The rate of dead sperm was decreased also. Our study shows a decrease in the semen parameters of roosters exposed with heat stress. The feeding rosemary in heat stress condition can reduce the effects of lipid peroxidation and ROS.

Conclusion

 The components in rosemary plant leaf powder are able to protect sperm motility and acrosome integrity. In this situation microscopic examination of testicular tissue with determination of androgen hormones are recommended.