Effects of dietary L-carnitine supplementation on semen quality of boars in summer season
2008
Ikeda, S.(Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture, Atsugi, Kanagawa (Japan). Faculty of Agriculture) | Doi, F. | Muraoka, K. | Watanabe, N. | Odo, S. | Sato, M. | Monji, Y. | Sukemori, S.
L-carnitine accelerates energy production in mitochondrial transport and oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. Pigs decrease sperm production activity in summer due to lower nutrition intake caused by lessened appetite in a high-temperature environment. A deterioration in semen is a serious problem especially in boars. It is presumed that L-carnitine supplementation may improve the characteristics of deteriorated semen. The present experiment compared the characteristics of semen obtained from boars in a non-treated control group and an L-carnitine supplemented experimental group, supplemented during the summer season. At the start of supplementation, motile sperm in control and experimental group were as 88.8+-3% and 86.2+-6%, respectively. In early September, while motile sperm was 52.5+-13% in the control group, the experimental group showed a higher value (P0.10), 86.7+-3%, than that in the control group. In late September, no significant difference was found, but a tendency for higher values was maintained in the experimental group. The rate of abnormal sperm in the experimental group tended to be lower than that in the control group (P 0.10) in early September. While a significant difference was not found in other characteristics, the experimental group showed favorable sperm production values.
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