Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF THE HELLENIC VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY, cilt.70, sa.1, ss.1365-1372, 2019 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, it was aimed to investigate the concentrations of macro and trace elements in seminal plasma and blood serum in the breeding (October) and the non-breeding (April) seasons in Merino Ram. Nineteen Merino Rams, aged 18-24 months, were involved in the study. Blood (once) and ejaculate samples (6 replicates) were taken in the breeding (October) and the non-breeding (April) seasons. Blood serum, seminal plasma and diet Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Zinc, Selenium, Chrome, Manganese, Nickel, Molybdenum and Boron concentrations were determined by ICP-AES. In blood serum, Sodium and Selenium concentrations were higher (p<0.05 and 0.001, respectively) in the the breeding season than in non-breeding season, whereas Potassium, Chromium and Boron concentrations were lower (p<0.05, 0.001 and 0.001, respectively) in the breeding season than in the non-breeding season. In seminal plasma Calcium, Sodium, Zinc and Manganese concentrations were higher (p<0.05, 0.001, 0.01 and 0.05, respectively) in the breeding season than in the non-breeding season, whereas Phosphorus, Chrome, Molybdenum and Boron concentrations were lower (p<0.001, 0.001, 0.05 and 0.001, respectively) in the breeding season than in the non-breeding season. No difference was detected regarding the other elements. The higher levels of Cr and B in the non-breeding season compared to the breeding season both in serum and seminal plasma, regardless of diet intake, suggest that these elements may play a crutial role on male fertility in Merino Ram.