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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.

Sec. Animal Nutrition and Metabolism

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1553218

This article is part of the Research Topic Rearing, Health, and Disease Management of Special Economic Animals: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Special Economy through Animal Agriculture View all 14 articles

Effects of hemp-based polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on membrane lipid profiles and reproductive performance in Martina Franca jacks

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy
  • 2 Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study evaluates the impact of dietary supplementation with hemp-based polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the membrane lipid profiles and reproductive performance of Martina Franca jacks. Over a 90-day period, twelve donkeys were divided into a treatment group receiving hemp oil and a control group on a standard diet. Semen and blood samples were collected and analyzed at multiple time points for lipid composition and reproductive parameters. Results revealed that sperm motility improved significantly, increasing from 92.61% in the control group to 96.63% by Day 60 in the treatment group (P = 0.05). Normal sperm morphology also showed a significant enhancement, rising from 96.58% in the control group to 98.85% by Day 60 (P = 0.04). Conversely, gel-free semen volume decreased significantly in the treatment group, from 64.17 mL in the control group to 28.20 mL at Day 60 (P < 0.0001). Lipidomic analyses indicated an increased proportion of omega-3 PUFAs, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 0.08% in the control group to 0.20% by Day 60, P < 0.0001), in sperm membranes, alongside a reduction in the peroxidation index (264.11 in the control group to 86.53 in the treatment group, P < 0.0001). These changes suggest improved membrane fluidity and oxidative stability. These findings underscore the potential of hemp oil as a dietary supplement to enhance reproductive outcomes in donkeys, with broader implications for livestock management.

    Keywords: Semen quality, lipidomic, Antioxidants, Cannabidiol, Industrial hemp, Donkey nutrition

    Received: 30 Dec 2024; Accepted: 20 Mar 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Fusaro, Parrillo, Buonaiuto, Prasinau, GRAMENZI, Bucci, Cavallini, Carosi, Carluccio and De Amicis. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Giovanni Buonaiuto, Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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