AUTHOR=Han Hui , Zhou Yexun , Xiong Bohui , Zhong Ruqing , Jiang Yue , Sun Haiqing , Tan Jiajian , Zhang Bin , Guan Chang , Schroyen Martine , Chen Liang , Zhao Yong , Zhang Hongfu 

TITLE=Alginate oligosaccharides increase boar semen quality by affecting gut microbiota and metabolites in blood and sperm

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.982152

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.982152

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), natural polymers from brown seaweeds (such as <italic>Laminaria japonica</italic>, <italic>Undaria pinnatifida</italic>, and <italic>Sargassum fusiforme</italic>), have been reported to possess many beneficial advantages for health. In the current study, after 9 weeks of dietary supplementation, AOS 10 mg/kg group (AOS 10) group increased boar sperm motility from 87.8% to 93.5%, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05. Moreover, AOS10 increased the relative abundances of <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic>, <italic>Coprococcus</italic>, <italic>Butyricicoccus</italic> (1.3–2.3-fold; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) to increase the beneficial blood and sperm metabolites (1.2–1.6-fold; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05), and important sperm proteins such as gelsolin, Zn-alpha2 glycoprotein, Cation Channel Sperm-Associated Protein, outer dense fiber of sperm tails, etc. (1.5–2.2-fold; <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). AOS had a long-term beneficial advantage on boar semen quality by the increase in semen volume (175 vs. 160 ml/ejaculation, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). AOS may be used as dietary additives for improving semen quality.</p>