The association between diet estrogenicity in exotic felids and poor spermatozoa quality in tigers (Panthera tigris)†.

ABSTRACT: A high incidence of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa has been observed in felid species including snow leopard (SL), Sumatran tiger (ST), and cheetah (CH). In managed settings, these species consume diets different than their wild counterparts, which can contain soy products with detectable levels of phytoestrogens. Previous work has demonstrated that estrogenic diets can interfere with endocrine function and may be associated with reproductive failure. We evaluated the relationship between diet and poor spermatozoa quality in felids by quantifying the estrogenicity of commercial felid diets that were collected from facilities at the time of semen analysis on individual tigers consuming that diet. In vitro estrogen receptor activity was characterized for estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) a

SUBMITTER: Fallon L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12448638 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature