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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427526
Research Project: Biophotonics - Emerging Imaging Technologies for Food Animal Research

Location: Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit

Title: Dietary Arginine Supplementation Modulates the Proteome of Boar Seminal Plasma

Author
item OLADEJO, EMMANUEL - Mississippi State University
item GRUHOT, TASHA - University Of Nebraska
item PARK, SEONGBIN - Mississippi State University
item GHASSAN, ISHAK - Southern Illinois University
item MOTE, BENNY - University Of Nebraska
item LIAO, SHENGFA - Mississippi State University
item FEUGANG, JEAN - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Literature Review
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/11/2025
Publication Date: 2/14/2025
Citation: Oladejo, E.O., Gruhot, T.R., Park, S., Ghassan, I.M., Mote, B.E., Liao, S.F., Feugang, J.M. 2025. Dietary Arginine Supplementation Modulates the Proteome of Boar Seminal Plasma. Animals. 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15040555.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15040555

Interpretive Summary: This study explores the effects of an increased arginine level in a boar diet on semen production and the seminal plasma proteome. The results showed that although arginine supplementation did not significantly affect semen output or sperm quality, such as in motility and morphology, it led to an increase in ten proteins and a decrease in two proteins related to reproduction. These findings suggest that arginine may influence sperm function, highlighting the need for further research in this critical area.

Technical Abstract: This study investigated the impact of an increased arginine (ARG) level in a boar diet on semen production, sperm quality, and seminal plasma proteome. Adult Nebraska Index Line boars were assigned to two groups, one receiving a control diet with 0.77% arginine (n = 4) and the other a high-arginine diet with 1.77% arginine (n = 5). Semen was collected twice a week over the whole experiment, including one week before, six weeks during, and six weeks after the supplementation. Parameters such as semen volume and concentration were assessed immediately after collection, alongside sperm motility and morphology. Centrifugation of raw semen samples yielded seminal plasma for a gel-based proteome analysis. The seminal plasma proteins were extracted, quantified, and separated via 2D gel electrophoresis, allowing protein identification through mass spectrometry. Data analysis involved two-way ANOVA for comparisons (p < 0.05). Results showed that arginine supplementation improved semen volume and total sperm counts, with averages of 21 ± 3 doses in the control group versus 24 ± 2 in the ARG group (p = 0.05). Although sperm motility and morphology remained unaffected (p > 0.05), dietary arginine upregulated ten proteins and downregulated two. In summary, increased dietary arginine did not significantly alter key parameters of semen output or sperm quality but significantly impacted seminal plasma proteome, warranting further research on sperm viability.