Differential effects of vitamin D and vitamin E supplementation on post-thaw sperm quality and fertility in cryopreserved drone semen

IF 1.7 3区农林科学 Q1 ENTOMOLOGY

Apidologie Pub Date : 2026-09-14 DOI:10.1007/s13592-026-01304-1

Nurdan Coşkun, Cengiz Yildiz, Oğuz Kaan Yalçin, Aziz Gül

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Long-term storage of honeybee semen by cryopreservation is essential for preserving genetic resources and supporting sustainable apiculture. This study evaluated the effects of vitamin D and vitamin E supplementation on post-thaw sperm quality and fertility in drone semen. Semen was collected using a Schley-type device and allocated into seven groups, including a non-supplemented control and treatment groups supplemented with vitamin D (25, 50, and 100 ng) or vitamin E (0.5, 1, and 2 mg). In the first experiment, semen from 42 drones per group was cryopreserved, and post-thaw sperm motility, membrane integrity, viability, and longevity were assessed. In the second experiment, 56 queens (n = 8 per group) were instrumentally inseminated to evaluate fertility outcomes. Vitamin E supplementation, particularly at 0.5 mg, significantly improved post-thaw sperm quality parameters, including motility (85%), membrane integrity (97%), and longevity (120 h) (P < 0.05). Fertility outcomes were consistent with these findings, with the highest fertilization rate observed in the 0.5 mg vitamin E group (20.5%, P < 0.01). In contrast, vitamin D supplementation showed a dose-dependent pattern, with the lowest dose (25 ng) associated with reduced sperm longevity and fertility, while higher doses showed partial improvement but remained below vitamin E treatment levels. These results indicate that vitamin E supplementation, particularly at a dose of 0.5 mg, exerts a protective effect on honeybee sperm during cryopreservation by enhancing post-thaw sperm quality and fertility in honeybee semen, offering a practical improvement for bee breeding programs.

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补充维生素D和维生素E对冷冻雄蜂精液解冻后精子质量和生育能力的差异影响

低温保存是保存遗传资源和支持可持续养蜂的重要手段。本研究评价了补充维生素D和维生素E对雄蜂精液解冻后精子质量和生育能力的影响。使用schley式装置收集精液，并将其分为7组，包括未补充的对照组和补充维生素D（25、50和100 ng）或维生素E（0.5、1和2 mg）的治疗组。在第一个实验中，每组42只雄蜂的精液被冷冻保存，并在解冻后评估精子活力、膜完整性、活力和寿命。在第二个实验中，56只蜂王（每组n = 8）被人工授精以评估生育结果。补充维生素E，特别是0.5 mg，显著提高了解冻后精子质量参数，包括活力（85%）、膜完整性（97%）和寿命（120 h）（P < 0.05）。生育结果与这些发现一致，0.5 mg维生素E组的受精率最高（20.5%,P < 0.01）。相反，补充维生素D显示出剂量依赖模式，最低剂量（25纳克）与精子寿命和生育能力降低有关，而高剂量则显示出部分改善，但仍低于维生素E治疗水平。这些结果表明，补充维生素E，特别是在0.5 mg的剂量下，通过提高解冻后精子的质量和蜜蜂精液的生育能力，在冷冻保存过程中对蜜蜂精子产生保护作用，为蜜蜂育种计划提供了实际的改进。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Apidologie 生物-昆虫学

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

8.30%

发文量

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Apidologie is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the biology of insects belonging to the superfamily Apoidea. Its range of coverage includes behavior, ecology, pollination, genetics, physiology, systematics, toxicology and pathology. Also accepted are papers on the rearing, exploitation and practical use of Apoidea and their products, as far as they make a clear contribution to the understanding of bee biology. Apidologie is an official publication of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) and Deutscher Imkerbund E.V. (D.I.B.)