Dataset Information

Improvement of the Seminal Characteristics in Rams Using Agri-Food By-Products Rich in Phytomelatonin.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a phytomelatonin-rich diet, including by-products from the food industry, on ram sperm quality and seminal plasma composition. Melatonin content in several by-products before and after in vitro ruminal and abomasal digestion was determined by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Finally, 20% of a mix of grape pulp with pomegranate and tomato pomaces was included in the rams' diet, constituting the phytomelatonin-rich diet. Feeding the rams with this diet resulted in an increase in seminal plasma melatonin levels compared with the control group (commercial diet) in the third month of the study. In addition, percentages higher than those in the control group of morphologically normal viable spermatozoa with a low content of reactive oxygen species were observed from the second month onwards. However, the antioxidant effect does not seem to be exerted through the modulation of the antioxidant enzymes since the analysis of the activities of catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase in seminal plasma revealed no significant differences between the two experimental groups. In conclusion, this study reveals, for the first time, that a phytomelatonin-rich diet can improve seminal characteristics in rams.

SUBMITTER: Pena-Delgado V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10000078 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Improvement of the Seminal Characteristics in Rams Using Agri-Food By-Products Rich in Phytomelatonin.

Peña-Delgado Victoria V Carvajal-Serna Melissa M Fondevila Manuel M Martín-Cabrejas María A MA Aguilera Yolanda Y Álvarez-Rivera Gerardo G Abecia José A JA Casao Adriana A Pérez-Pe Rosaura R

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20230302 5

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a phytomelatonin-rich diet, including by-products from the food industry, on ram sperm quality and seminal plasma composition. Melatonin content in several by-products before and after in vitro ruminal and abomasal digestion was determined by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Finally, 20% of a mix of grape pulp with pomegranate and tomato pomaces was included in the rams' diet, constituting the phytomelatonin-rich diet. Feeding the rams with this diet resulted i ...[more]

PMID: 36899762

Similar Datasets

Project description:Persistent food insecurity in the global south has triggered calls for sustainable development worldwide. Moreover, more than a quarter of the world's population suffers from micronutrient deficiencies or hidden hunger. The population bulge, declining soil fertility and inadequate/inappropriate use of farm inputs in Sub-Saharan Africa place it in a precarious position. Multi-nutrient fertilizer blends have been mooted as a key innovation in closing yield gaps and boosting food and nutrition security. This study assessed the extent of multi-nutrient fertilizer blends utilization and yield response across agroecological zones and their on-farm profitability under Kenyan smallholder farmer conditions. We collected data through a detailed household survey conducted in eight counties in Kenya representative of high, medium, and low productivity zones using a sample of 1094 smallholder farmers. Multi-nutrient fertilizers increased maize yields significantly (P < 0.05), eliciting a 400% yield increase compared to the control and 108% greater maize yield than conventional fertilizers in the high potential zone. Conversely, at 3.7 t/ha conventional fertilizers elicited a significant (P < 0.05) yield response in Irish potatoes in the high potential areas. Multi-nutrient fertilizers increased on-farm profitability of crops, specifically for potato production systems where a benefit: cost ratio (BCR) of more than 2 was observed. Farmers may break even when they use multi-nutrient fertilizers on maize particularly in the low potential areas. Therefore, there is considerable potential for multi-nutrient fertilizers to increase crop productivity while being economically viable across agroecological zones and cropping systems. However, the uptake of multi-nutrient fertilizers among farmers is quite low across the country, except for small pockets where limited interventions have been carried out. This calls for sustained efforts to scale multi-nutrient fertilizers with a focus on clear messaging that stresses the need to apply appropriate rates of various nutrients including the secondary nutrients and micro-nutrients.

Project description:The agri-food systems face many global and local challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, and loss of biodiversity. As the global population continues to rise, the demand for food and other ecosystem services also increases, escalating the pressure on agri-food systems. There is an urgent need to transition agri-food systems' goals from production efficiency to sustainability to address these challenges. Within agri-food systems, niche marketing has gained prominence in achieving sustainability. Using the PRISMA framework, this study performs a systematic literature review up to November 2024 to gather existing evidence on how niche markets can promote sustainable agri-food systems while also identifying challenges and policy options. To this end, two databases were employed: Web of Sciences and Scopus. Findings from the selected literature (58 articles) indicate that developing niche markets to deliver sustainable agriculture is subject to various challenges related to risk exposure, entry barriers, changing consumer preferences, and institutional context. In general, three main ways through which niche markets can support sustainable agri-food systems were identified. Firstly, niche markets provide financial incentives to encourage farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices by increasing the price premiums and limiting competitors' market access. Secondly, niche markets facilitate partnerships and networks that enable sharing know-how and best practices, reducing the high cost of transitioning to sustainable production systems. Thirdly, niche markets promote radical innovations and technologies that enable increased economic efficiency and environmental performance. In terms of policy implications, public initiatives fostering the expansion of niche markets in agri-food production should increase financial support, access to credit, and legal recognition of certifications for environmentally friendly products. Other measures include fostering knowledge transfer and networking between farmers and consumers.

Dataset Information

Improvement of the Seminal Characteristics in Rams Using Agri-Food By-Products Rich in Phytomelatonin.

Publications

Improvement of the Seminal Characteristics in Rams Using Agri-Food By-Products Rich in Phytomelatonin.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets