Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct 17;8(10):e11128.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11128. eCollection 2022 Oct.

Relation of seminal plasma trace mineral in the Arabian stallion's semen with the semen characteristics and subsequent fertility

Magdi M Waheed  1   2 , Ahmad Meligy  3   4 , Abdulrahman K Alhaider  1 , Ibrahiem M Ghoneim  1   2
Affiliations

Relation of seminal plasma trace mineral in the Arabian stallion's semen with the semen characteristics and subsequent fertility

Magdi M Waheed et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Background: Seminal plasma contains several microelements like Zn, Fe, Se, and Cu that affect sperm motility and male fertility. Biochemical evaluation of seminal plasma trace elements is important for assessing fertility and diagnosing male infertility.

Aims: The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of seminal fluid trace elements on sperm parameters and fertility in Arabian horses.

Methods: Ninety-four ejaculates from 25 Arabian stallions (4-27 years old) were used to investigate the effect of seminal fluid trace elements on semen parameters and fertility. Data divided according to season, stallion age, and fertility of stallions. The concentrations of Zn, Fe, Se, Cu, Cr and Mo were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Percentage stallion fertility estimated by mares that conceived on their first cycle. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS statistical software program (2013), version 22.0.

Results: There was a significant effect of season on semen volume, pH, Fe, Se, Cu, Cr, and Mo. Stallion age had a significant effect on pH, sperm motility, concentration, total motile sperm count, sperm abnormalities, Zn, and Fe. Sperm motility was higher (P < 0.05) and sperm abnormalities were lower (P < 0.05) in group IV (>70% fertility) than in group I (infertile) and group II (<50% fertility). Sperm abnormalities were low in group IV and high in groups I and II. Seminal plasma Zn and Cu levels were higher (P < 0.05) in groups III (50_70% fertility) and IV than in group I. Fe levels were lower (P < 0.05) in group IV than in groups I, II, and III. Seminal plasma Mo concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in group III than in group I.

Conclusions: High seminal plasma concentrations of Zn, Se, Cu, and Mo and low Fe concentrations are associated with improved stallions' semen parameters and fertility.

Keywords: Arabian horse; Fertility; Semen parameters; Trace elements.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of seasons on seminal plasma trace elements in stallions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effect of stallion age on seminal plasma trace elements.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Seminal plasma trace element concentrations in relation to stallion fertility.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Hamada A.J., Esteves S.C., Agarwal A. A Comprehensive Review of genetics and genetic testing in azoospermia. Clinics. 2013;68(Suppl 1):39–60. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ollero M., Gil-Guzman E., Lopez M.C., Sharma R.K., Agarwal A., Larson K., Evenson D., Thomas A.J., Jr., Alvarez J.G. Characterization of subsets of human spermatozoa at different stages of maturation: implications in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility. Hum. Reprod. 2001;16:1912–1921. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm - PubMed
    1. Burtis C.A., Ashwood E.R., Bruns D.E. 2006. Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    1. Katila T., Kareskoski M. Components of stallion seminal plasma and their influence on spermatozoa. Pferdeheilkunde. 2006;22(2):193–200.
    1. Töpfer-Petersen E., Waberski D., Hess O., Bellair S., Schambony A., Ekhlasi-Hundrieser M., Gentzel M., Reineke A. The role of seminal plasma in fertilization - a short overview. Tierärztliche Umsch. 1998;53:447–454. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286037821

LinkOut - more resources