Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids induce plasminogen activator activity and DNA damage in rabbit spermatozoa

Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Effects on reproductive and productive performance and meat quality in rabbit breeding

Rabbit breeding has many critical aspects related to reproduction, production, and animal welfare, which reduce its profitability as well as consumer attractiveness. Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) seems to be a good nutritional strategy to improve several aspects of rabbit breeding, enhance animal welfare and produce a new functional food considered healthy for human consumption. For this reason, the main available scientific research regarding the physiological effects of n-3 PUFA rich products supplemented to the rabbit diet will be reviewed. In particular, consequences on the reproductive performances of both doe and buck, the productive parameters, and the meat quality will be analysed.

"Fine feathers make fine birds" - The mammalian sperm plasma membrane lipid composition and effects on assisted reproduction

The sperm plasma membrane is important in modulating many sperm functions. The sperm membrane is composed of a complex mixture of lipids including phospholipids, glycolipids and sterols. There are differences of sperm membrane composition among mammalian species with two groups differing in the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), either docosahexaenoic (ω-3 PUFA) or docosapentaenoic acid (ω-6 PUFA). During testicular and epididymal maturation, composition of the sperm plasma membrane evolves with spermatozoa gaining the capacity for fertilization. The importance of fatty acid metabolism for complete spermatogenesis has been elucidated using gene knockout mice. During epididymal transit cholesterol content decreases and PUFA content increases, conferring more fluidity properties to the sperm membrane. The relatively lesser content of antioxidant enzymes and the relatively larger content of PUFA make the spermatozoa particularly susceptible to lipid peroxidation during sperm preservation. In numerous studies, there was adding of PUFA and antioxidants to the diet of animals or to semen extenders with the aim to improve sperm membrane integrity. This review highlights the current knowledge on the sperm membrane composition and effects on sperm function in mammalian domestic animals.