The present study was conducted to assess the chemical composition of Yellow Maca (Lepidium meyenii) and its biological activity on stallions following oral administration of hypocotyl powder. Maca was subjected to methanolic extraction and the chemical analysis was carried out by LC-MS-QTOF (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry). Our results showed that Maca contains some effective antioxidants, a high percentage of glucosinolates, and other important components with a high antioxidant capacity. To evaluate the plant biological activity in stallions fed with Maca powder for 60 days, the redox status and some reproductive parameters were investigated. Blood and semen samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, and 90 days from the beginning of this study. Blood samples showed a decrease of the reactive oxygen metabolites, evaluated by d-ROMs test, and an increase of the antioxidant barrier in terms of biological antioxidant potential (BAP test), powerful oxidant capacity (OXY-Adsorbent test), and thiols evaluation (-SHp test). Furthermore, semen samples showed a positive trend during Maca administration in the following parameters: ejaculate volumes and sperm concentrations, total and progressive motility, and acrosome integrity.

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of the unsaponified fraction (UP), the acetylated unsaponified fraction (AUP), and the total lipid fraction (TL) extracted and purified from Chlorella sorokiniana (CS) on the proliferation and cytokine profile of sheep peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Cells were cultured with 0.4 mg/mL and 0.8 mg/mL concentrations of each extract (UP, AUP, and TL fractions) and activated with 5 μg/mL concanavalin A (ConA) and 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 37 °C for 24 h. PBMCs cultured with ConA and LPS represented the stimulated cells (SC), and PBMCs without ConA and LPS represented the unstimulated cells (USC). Cell-free supernatants were collected to determine IL-10, IL-1β, and IL-6 secretions; on cells, measurement of proliferation was performed. All the extracts tested significantly decreased the cell proliferation; in particular, the UP fraction at 0.4 mg/mL showed the lowest proliferative response. Furthermore, at 0.8 mg/mL, the UP fraction enhanced IL-10 secretion. On the contrary, the TL fraction at 0.4 mg/mL induced an increase in IL-10, IL-6, and, to a lesser extent, IL-1β secretions by cells. The AUP fraction did not change cytokine secretion. The results demonstrated that CS extracts could be useful ingredients in animal feed in order to minimize the use of antibiotics by modulating cell proliferation and cytokine response.

Oxidative energy production is inevitably associated with the generation of reactive\ud oxygen species (ROS), excessive concentrations of which can lead to cellular pathology.\ud A free radical may be defined as any molecule that has one or more unpaired\ud electrons. The superoxide anion, the hydroxyl radical, and the hypochlorite radical\ud are some of the highest reactive radicals of oxygen. Owing to their high reactivity and\ud to their capability of initiating an uncontrolled cascade of chain reactions, ROS\ud produce extensive protein damage and cytoskeletal modifications and inhibit cellular\ud mechanisms. Aerobic organisms are equipped with a powerful battery of mechanisms\ud that protect them from the adverse effects of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and other\ud manifestations of oxygen toxicity. Defective sperm function frequently causes male\ud infertility, due to abnormal flagella movement, failure to recognize the zona, and\ud inhibition of sperm-oocyte fusion. ROS are fundamental mediators of physiological\ud sperm function, such as signal transduction mechanisms that have an effect on\ud fertility. ROS can have positive effects on sperm and the concentration functions\ud depending on the nature and the concentration of the ROS involved. They are\ud necessary in regulating the hyperactivation and the ability of the spermatozoa to\ud undergo acrosome reaction. An increased amount of superoxide anion (O2\ud -) is one of\ud the first steps required by the spermatozoa for induction and development of\ud hyperactivation and capacitation. Numerous studies have shown that oxidative stress\ud plays an important role in the pathophysiology of infertility and assisted fertility. The\ud paternal genome is of primary importance in the normal embryo and fetal development.\ud ROS-induced sperm damage during sperm translation, such as signal transduction\ud through the seminiferous tubules and epididymis, is one of the most\ud important mechanisms leading to sperm DNA damage. Male germ cells are extremely vulnerable to oxidative stress as the sperm membrane is rich in unsaturated fatty acids\ud and lacks the capacity for DNA repair. Spermatozoa are particularly susceptible to\ud ROS-induced damage because their plasma membranes contain large quantities of\ud polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and their cytoplasm contains low concentrations\ud of the scavenging enzymes. Many clinical and research institutes are investigating the\ud usefulness of antioxidant supplementation and their role in prevention of the\ud infertility problems. Incubation under oxygen in vitro was detrimental to human\ud spermatozoa, decreasing motility and viability. Since then, many reports have\ud associated ROS with impaired sperm function, including decreased motility,\ud abnormal morphology, and decreased sperm-egg penetration. Increasing knowledge\ud of the mechanisms whereby ROS and endogenous antioxidant systems influence\ud reproductive processes can assist to optimize the application of exogenous antioxidants\ud to fertility treatment

This study aimed to describe metabolic, oxidative, and mineral blood profiles of Saanen does through lactation compared with Mediterranean breed clusters (Maltese and Rossa Mediterranea, and Jonica, Garganica, and Girgentana). Milk and blood samples of 57 dairy goats (9–10 goats per breed) were collected from the 2nd to the 30th week of lactation every 2–3 weeks. Saanen showed greater milk yield and somatic cell score, and lower fat and protein percentage through lactation (p < 0.05) than the Mediterranean breed clusters. Blood analysis revealed that stage of lactation had a greater impact than breed cluster, except for uric acid, alkaline phosphatase, and aspartate aminotransferase. Plasmatic non-esterified fatty acids indicated a greater negative energy balance in Saanen than the other breed clusters during early and medium lactation stages (p < 0.05). Serum Cl, Mg, and Ca increased in all the breed clusters from early to the following stages of lactation (p < 0.05). No significant prooxidant/antioxidant imbalances were detected in any of the three clusters during the entire lactation. In conclusion, Mediterranean breeds tended to recover earlier from negative energy balance than Saanen, but effects of breed or stage of lactation on long-term oxidative stress indicators were not evident.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced by fungi belonging to the genera Fusarium spp. and commonly found in feed and food. It is frequently related to reproductive disorders in farm animals and, occasionally, to hyperestrogenic syndromes in humans. Nowadays, knowledge about ZEN effects on wild boars (Sus scrofa) is extremely scarce, despite the fact that they represent one of the most hunted game species in Italy. The aim of this study was to investigate how ZEN affects the liver, kidney, and muscle oxidative status and morphology of wild boars hunted in various locations throughout the province of Avellino, Campania Region, Southern Italy, during the 2021–2022 hunting season. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, were assessed by colorimetric assays; tissue morphology was evaluated by hematoxylin–eosin and Masson’s stains. Our data showed that ZEN contamination might result in oxidative stress (OS) and some histopathological alterations in wild boars’ livers and kidneys rather than in muscles, emphasizing the importance of developing a wildlife monitoring and management strategy for dealing not only with the problem of ZEN but the surveillance of mycotoxins in general.