INFLUENCE OF VITAMIN FEED ADDITIVE ON THE QUALITY OF SPERM PRODUCTION IN BOARS

Abstract

The housing conditions have a significant impact among the factors affecting the reproductive capacity of pigs. One of the components of the conditions for housing animals is the temperature in the premise, especially in summer, when they are exposed to temperature stress. This is accompanied by the acceleration of peroxidation processes, which negatively affects the reproductive capacity. The aim was to find out the features of the effect of vitamin feed additives on the quality of sperm production in boars. In the experiment it was used 6 boars of the Large White breed, analogues in age, live weight and quality of sperm, from which it has been formed 2 groups of animals with 3 heads in each: I (control) and II (experimental). The duration of the experiment was 120 days, including: preparatory ‒ 30, main ‒ 60 (feeding vitamin A, vitamin E, ascorbic acid) and final ‒ 30 days. In the main period of the experiment, the diet of boars of the control group remained unchanged, and in the experimental period, a vitamin additive (vitamin A, vitamin E and ascorbic acid) was added to it. The level of antioxidant vitamins in the diet of the second experimental group was higher by 10 % compared to the control group. The quality of sperm production was controlled by: ejaculate mass, concentration, motility and sperm survival. The state of prooxidant-antioxidant homeostasis was determined in sperm plasma and sperm. It has been determined the fact that housing boars under conditions of higher temperatures is accompanied by a decrease indexes in sperm production: sperm concentration – by 29.0 % (p<0.001), the number of live sperm in the ejaculate – by 35.5 %, total sperm – by 25.6 %, sperm motility – by 15.5 % (p<0.001) and their survival rate by 23.3 % (p<0.001). This is accompanied by a change in biochemical parameters in sperm and sperm plasma under the action of heat factor on the 45th day: an increase in the content of diene conjugates in sperm plasma in 1.6 times (p<0.01) and native sperm in 1.2 times (p<0.05), as well as reducing the amount of vitamin A (p˂0.01) in these secretions. The additional introduction of vitamins A, E and C in the diet of boars increases the quality of sperm: ejaculate volume (p<0.001), concentration (p<0.001), motility (p<0.05) and sperm survival (p<0.001), which improves the fertility of sperm. Such changes occur against the background of the predominance of vitamin A in the plasma of sperm (p˂0.01) and sperm (p˂0.001), vitamin E in sperm (p˂0.01), as well as increased superoxide dismutase activity in sperm plasma (p˂0.01) and native sperm (p˂0.05) relative to intact animals.