Abstract

Pumpkin seed (PS) oil is antioxidant that can provide a scavenging effect on reactive oxygen species produced during gametogenesis. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of 0.5% dietary PS oil supplementation on rabbit reproductive performance. A total of 20 mature bucks and 48 nulliparous does were used in a 72 days experiment. Rabbits were divided into two groups: Control group (CON-M = 10 bucks; CON-F = 24 does) and PSO group (PSO-M = 10 bucks; PSO-F = 24 does), blood samples were collected and analysed for serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Bucks and does were cross-mated on d30 to have 4 female groups: (1) CON-C (CON-F × CON-M), (2) CON-P (CON-F × PSO-M), (3) PSO-C (PSO-F × CON-M) and (4) PSO-P (PSO-F × PSO-M). Doe serum oestradiol and progesterone were assessed on days 0, 14, 26 and 32 after mating. Bucks serum testosterone and oestradiol were also assessed. Reproductive performance and litter size and weight were recorded, semen samples were collected from bucks for 6 successive weeks and assessed for semen quality. PS oil increased the level of TAC (p = .05) and decreased total MDA (p = .04) in both sexes. The percentage of sperm abnormality was decreased in PS oil-fed bucks (p = .04), PS oil did not alter the reproductive performance of the does including litter size and litter birth weight (p > .05). In conclusion, PS oil improved buck fertility. The antioxidant effect of PS oil was remarkable in both sexes.

• HIGHLIGHTS

• Pumpkin seed (PS) oil improved the semen quality of rabbit bucks.

• PS oil increased antioxidant capacity in both rabbit buck and doe.

• PS oil did not impact the reproductive performance of rabbits.

摘要

南瓜籽（PS）油是抗氧化剂，可以清除配子发生过程中产生的活性氧。当前的研究旨在研究添加0.5％的日粮PS油对兔生殖性能的影响。在72天的实验中，总共使用了20只成熟雄鹿和48只未产卵雄鹿。兔分为两组：对照组（CON-M = 10美元; CON-F = 24 dos）和PSO组（PSO-M = 10 bucks; PSO-F = 24 dos），收集血液样本并分析血清总抗氧化能力（TAC），超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和丙二醛（ MDA）级别。雄鹿和确实在第30天交配，有4个雌性群体：（1）CON-C（CON-F×CON-M），（2）CON-P（CON-F×PSO-M），（3） PSO-C（PSO-F×CON-M）和（4）PSO-P（PSO-F×PSO-M）。交配后第0、14、26和32天评估母猪血清雌二醇和孕酮。还评估了雄鹿的血清睾丸激素和雌二醇。记录生殖性能，产仔数和体重，连续6周从雄鹿中收集精液样本，并评估精液质量。PS油增加了TAC的水平（p  = .05）并降低了总MDA（p = .04）。饲喂PS油的雄鹿的精子异常百分率降低了（p  = .04），PS油并没有改变母猪的生殖性能，包括产仔数和产仔体重（p  > .05）。总之，聚苯乙烯油可提高雄鹿的生育能力。两种性别的PS油的抗氧化作用均十分显着。

• 强调

• 南瓜籽（PS）油改善了兔子雄鹿的精液质量。

• PS油增加了兔子和母鹿的抗氧化能力。

• PS油不会影响兔子的生殖性能。