P-133: Effects of Dietary Earthworm (Eisenia Fetida) Meal and Ethanolic Extract

Background: Avian spermatozoa are characterized by high proportions of poly unsaturated fatty acid, associated with increased susceptibility to Reactive Oxygen Species and lipid peroxidation. Recent advances in poultry reproduction have focused on the potential of Reactive Oxygen Species as one of the prime mediators of infertility. Oxidative stress is the result of imbalance between the Reactive Oxygen Species production and antioxidants in the body which can lead to sperm damage, deformity, and eventually male infertility. Constituents in earthworm (Eisenia fetida) have high phenolic compounds in vitro models. These compounds are secondary metabolites and act as free radical scavenging molecules. This experiment was conducted to determine the antioxidant effect of dietary earthworm on sperm quality parameters of 24 Iranian native roosters. Materials and Methods: The measured parameters were related to sperm velocity and motility. Semen samples were collected twice a week from all roosters during the whole period of experiment (12 weeks). Dietary treatments were as follows: 1. control diet, 2. Control diet + 150 IU vitamin E, 3 and 4. control diet + 1 and 2% earthworm meal respectively, and, 5 and 6. control diet + 1 and 2% earthworm ethanolic extract respectively. Results: Results indicated that in all measured traits, the highest and lowest values belong to the groups receiving meal (2%) and ethanolic extract (2%) of earthworm, respectively. Velocity of Average Path and Velocity of Straight Line were significantly improved by ethanolic extract of earthworm (2%) compared to control group (p<0.05). However, dietary supplementing of 2% earthworm meal had lower parameter values than that of controls. Conclusion: It seems that antioxidant properties of ethanolic extract of earthworm (2%) improved some of the sperm quality parameters during spermatogenesis.