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ANTI-AGEING EFFECTS OF DIETARY BEE PRODUCTS AND CALORIE RESTRICTION ON SEMEN PRODUCTION AND OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN OLDER BROILER BREEDER MALES

2020    Tugalay, Cigdem Seremet; Altan, Ozge

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of calorie restriction and dietary bee products (apilarnil plus royal jelly) supplementation on reproductive and oxidative responses and to determine the possibilities that these treatments may be used in retarding the reproductive ageing of broiler breeder males. At 52 weeks of age, broiler breeder males were assigned to four treatment groups. The control group was fed on restricted feed as recommended by the breeder company throughout the study; the ad libitum group was fed ad libitum for a four-week period; the bee products group was fed similar to the control group except that their diet was supplemented with apilarnil and royal jelly for a four-week period and in the last group calorie restriction (45 % of standard diet) was applied for a four-week period. After a four-week adaptation period, the experiment was continued for 18 weeks. The results obtained in the present study have demonstrated that the percentage of dead sperm was the most affected semen characteristic by reproductive ageing. Long-term moderate feed restriction could not prevent age-related declines in sperm production. Dietary bee products supplementation or calorie restriction for a fourweek period positively affected the semen characteristics, and these beneficial effects could be maintained to some extend up until 72 weeks of age. Calorie restriction enhanced antioxidant defence for the first four-week period; however, this beneficial effect could not be sustained until the end of the experiment.