Dietary Supplements with Bypass Fatty Acids Omega 3 and Omega 6 and their Effect on the Quality of Bovine Semen

Abstract

The goal was to determine whether or not bypass fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 have an improving effect on semen quality in cattle. Rations with whole grain linseed and soy were formulated as the source of those acids to determine the excess nutrients and their effect on semen quality. Three isocaloric and isoproteic diets (treatments) containing whole grain linseed as source of omega 3 (treatment 1), whole grain soy for omega 6 (treatment 2) and a base portion (treatment 3) that does not contain fatty acids. Work was done with six dairy breed bulls for a three-month treatment. Animals were fed with 2.0 kg of the experimental portions per animal/day. Three semen samples were taken with an electroejaculator from each animal every week and from the beginning, and the quality of the samples taken on week ten, eleven and twelve was then evaluated. Fatty acid bypass was evaluated in two additional bulls with rumen fistula and the samples were analyzed through gas chromatography. The results showed a high degree of bypass in these nutrients. The portions containing omega 3 and omega 6 produced higher density semen (sperm count/ml), a statistically significant difference (p < 0,05) compared to the base treatment, but there were no statistically significant differences. Other characteristics that determine semen quality, such as percentage of normal spermatozoa, living spermatozoa, as well as mass and individual mobility, did not show any statistically significant differences