Orally administered Chrysin improves post-thawed sperm quality and fertility of rooster

Chrysin is a bioflavonoid compound found in passion flower, chamomile, propolis and honey at high levels. Post-thawed sperm quality and fertility of Chrysin-fed roosters were assessed in this study. Twenty 40-week-old male broiler breeders were randomly divided into four groups and fed basal diet supplemented with different levels of Chrysin including 0 (Ch-0), 25 (Ch-25), 50 (Ch-50) or 75 (Ch-75) mg/day for 12 consecutive weeks. Semen samples were weekly collected from 6th to 9th week of experiment to evaluate some sperm quality parameters including total and progressive motility, plasma membrane integrity and functionality (in fresh and post-thawed samples) and mitochondrial activity (only in post-thawed samples). Also, collected semen samples from 10th, 11th and 12th week of experiment were frozen and then artificially inseminated to test fertility rate. According to the results, an improvement in both fresh and post-thawed sperm quality including total [fresh: 88.00 ± 0.58 and 87.25 ± 0.67 (p < .01); post-thawed: 51.07 ± 2.05 and 52.72 ± 1.96 (p < .01)] and progressive motility [fresh: 76.00 ± 0.58 and 78.25 ± 0.65 (p < .01); post-thawed: 40.61 ± 2.01 and 39.88 ± 2.01 (p < .01)], plasma membrane integrity [fresh: 91.60 ± 0.58 and 89.85 ± 0.59 (p < .01); post-thawed: 56.99 ± 1.86 and 54.39 ± 1.86 (p < .01)] and functionality [fresh: 75.40 ± 0.42 and 77.90 ± 0.96 (p < .01); post-thawed: 45.69 ± 1.71 and 46.35 ± 1.71 (p < .01)] was noted for both Ch-50 and Ch-75, respectively, groups compared to control group. Despite no significant change in mitochondrial activity, fertility rate of post-thawed spermatozoa was significantly improved in all Chrysin-fed groups compared to Ch-0 group. In conclusion, oral Chrysin administration to roosters could ameliorate cryopreservation-induced impairment of sperm quality and fertility rate.