Effect of Daily Food Supplementation with Essential Fat Acid on Canine Seminal Quality

Introduction - Omega factors are included in the class of essential fat acids, and actually are seen as fundamental in the maintenance of numberless vital systems of organisms [6], including reproductive functions. The polyunsaturated fatty acids are important membrane components that influence membrane integrity and fluidity and are implicated in numerous signaling pathways that affect cell growth, differentiation, and programmed cell death [5]. In the present study the effect of oral supplementation for 60 days with essentials fat acids (omega 3, 6 and 9) and vitamin E in the seminal canine quality indicators parameters was evaluated.

Material and methods - Sixteen dogs were selected for the experiment, eight used as control group and eight received the fat acid supplementation diet (7.2 mg/kg omega 3; 25 mg/kg of omega 6; 10.1 mg/kg of omega 9 and 1UI/kg of vitamin E) for 60 days. Seminal samples were taken every 15 days during the entire experiment period and analyzed for: volume (ml), spermatic motility (%), vigor (0-5), sperm concentration (x106/ml), spermatic morphology (%), plasmatic membranes integrity (%) using hyposmotic test and the longevity test (motility and vigor after 4 hours at the equilibrium temperature of 38oC). The obtained data was than submitted to a variance analysis (ANOVA), and the averages compared using the Duncan test with 5% significance level.

Results and Discussion - Polyunsaturated fat acids after enzymes action originates ecosanoids that once produced originates leucotriens, aracdonic acid and the prostaglandines, all of them stimulate the LH and testicular steroids synthesis [2, 4].Therefore, the enhance of the spermatic concentrations and decrease of spermatic pathologies observed along supplementation (table 1) is probably due to the increase of the hormonal production by testicular cells stimulating the increase and regulation in sperm production. The observed increase on sperm vigor in the treated group (table 1) is probably due to the biophysical proprieties of the fat acids that, according to the literature, contribute to the flexibility of the spermatozoid tail, improving the quality of spermatic movement [1]. Supplemented animals also presented higher resistance to the longevity test and similar results were also observed in canines supplemented with vitamin E and other anti-oxidants [3]. These results suggest that fat acid supplementation could protect the spermatic cell against damages during thermal stress.

Conclusion - According to the obtained results, diet supplementation with Omega 3, 6 and 9 and vitamin E for 60 days in the used concentrations enhanced significantly the sperm quality parameters usually utilized to classify the quality of canine semen. [...]