IN VITRO SUPPLEMENTATION OF RESVERATROL TO BOVINE SPERMATOZOA: EFFECTS ON MOTILITY, VIABILITY AND SUPEROXIDE PRODUCTION

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the dose- and time dependent in vitro effects of resveratrol (RES), a natural polyphenol and phytoalexin with potential antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties on bovine spermatozoa during five different time periods (0h, 2h, 6h, 12h and 24h). Semen samples were collected from 20 adult breeding bulls, and diluted in physiological saline solution containing 0.5% DMSO together with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 200 μM/L RES. Spermatozoa motility was examined using the Sperm VisionTM and CASA (Computer Assisted Semen Analyzer) system. Cell viability was measured using the metabolic activity MTT assay, the nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT) test was used to assess the intracellular superoxide formation. The initial CASA analysis showed no significant changes in the spermatozoa motion parameters, however a motion-promoting effect of 10 and 50 μM/L RES became significant after 2h (P