Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves or Arctium lappa Roots on Lipid Peroxidation and Membrane Integrity of Ram Sperm Preserved at Cool Temperature.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate effect of addition of different levels (0, 100, 500 and 1000 µg/ml) from Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL) or Arctium lappa L. roots (ALR) extracts, as antioxidants to ram semen extender on sperm characteristics, lipid peroxidation and enzyme activity in seminal plasma of ram semen preserved at cool temperature (5°C)for 48 hours. Four adult Rahmani rams were used. Semen was collected from all rams using an artificial vagina once a week for 8 weeks. Lecithin soybean based-extender was divided into seven portions; control (T1), 100 (T2), 500 (T3) and 1000 (T4) µg MOL extract/ml or 100 (T5), 500 (T6) and 1000 (T7) µg ALR extract/ml extender. In each treatment, percentage of progressive motility (PM), livability (SL), and abnormality (AB) were determined. Also, percentages of spermatozoa having curled tails or chromatin damage were calculated. Polyphenols and flavonoid compounds in MOL or ALR extracts were identified. Concentrations of total antioxidant (TAO) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and activity of acid phosphatase (ACP) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined. Results showed that both extracts revealed higher content of most phenolic compounds in ALR than in MOL extract, but Pyrogallol compound showed the highest level of phenolic compounds in both MOL and ALR extracts. ALR extract showed higher contents of Narengenin, Rutin, Quercetin, Apigenin and Luteolin and lower contents of Hisperdin, Romarinic acid, Kampferol and Hesperitin than in MOL extract. Only overall percentages of SL and AB improved (P<0.05), while percentage of sperm with chromatin damage increased (P<0.05) in T7 as compared to T1. Overall percentage of PM and curled tail of spermatozoa did not differ in T7 compared with T1, while T6 showed poorer (P<0.05) results than in T1. All sperm characteristics studied showed deleterious effect (P<0.05) by increasing storage period. The effect of interaction between treatment and storage period was not significant on all sperm characteristics. Concentrations of TAO and MDA as well as ACP and LDH activities tended to be higher (P≥0.05) in seminal plasma of semen in all treatments. Effect of storage period or its interaction with treatment was not significant on concentrations of TAO and MDA as well as ALP and LDH activities. The present results showed that adding 1000 µg of Arctium lappa roots extract improved livability and abnormality with appropriate progressive motility and response to HOS-t of spermatozoa in Lecithin soybean based-extender of ram semen preserved at cool temperature (5°C) for 48 hours as compared to un-supplemented or those supplemented with 100 or 500 µg of Moringa oleifera or Arctium lappa.