Comparative Analysis Of The Effects Of Curcumin And Epicatechin On The Vitality Of Rooster Spermatozoa

The objective of our study was to assess the effects of two selected antioxidants (curcumin - CUR and epicatechin - EPI) on the vitality of rooster spermatozoa. We used semen samples from 10 sexually mature Lohmann light roosters, which were collected from a local farm, diluted in PBS and cultured with different concentrations of CUR and EPI (1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 mu mol/L). Motility, membrane and acrosome integrity were analysed after 0, 2 and 24 h of in vitro culture. Sperm motility was evaluated by the computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). The membrane integrity was determined by a combination of eosin/nigrosin dyes, and the acrosome integrity was detected by fast green/rose bengal dyes. The data were statistically evaluated using One-way ANOVA and the Dunnet's test. The results indicate that after 0 h of cultivation all selected parameters stay unchanged. After 2 h significant differences (P<0.0001) were observed in case of the motility and membrane integrity. Following 24 h a significant (P<0.0001) preservation of motility was recorded. The level of membrane damage and acrosome integrity was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Based on our results we may conclude that protective effects of CUR and EPI on the vitality of rooster spermatozoa were observed already after 2 h. This impact was even more dominant after 24 h. CUR showed better effects at lower concentrations (1, 5, and 10 mu mol/L) while EPI at higher doses (25 and 50 mu mol/L). Our findings could contribute to the potential application of these antioxidants in avian reproduction technologies.