Gattuso Debora Teresa, Polisca Angela, Interlandi Claudia Dina, Rizzo Maria, Tabbì Marco, Giudice Elisabetta, Cristarella Santo, Rifici Claudia, Quartuccio Marco, Zappone Viola
MGVet CSB (Canine Semen Bank), Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Front Vet Sci. 2024 Feb 29;11:1375146. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1375146. eCollection 2024.
Maca is a traditional Andean crop used as a nutraceutical for the fertility-enhancing properties that are linked with antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the potential beneficial effects of oral Maca ( or ) supplementation in improving reproductive performance in male dogs. Forty-eight male dogs of different breeds were enrolled in the study, fed the same maintenance diet, and exposed to the same environmental conditions. The subjects were divided into four groups of 12 dogs each: Subfertile treatment group, Subfertile control group, Normofertile treatment group, and Normofertile control group. The dogs in the treatment groups received in their diet in a capsule formulation [75 mg/kg Maca extract 10:1, thickening agent (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), ground rice], while the control groups received placebo capsule (starch). For each subject included in the study, the spermiogram was analyzed at three time points of the sperm cycle: at day 0 (T), day 31 (T), and day 62 (T). Dietary supplementation with Maca in subfertile subjects resulted in a significant increase in ejaculate volume and total sperm count compared to the control group. This increase was also observed in normofertile subjects in the treatment group. In addition, total and progressive motility as well as sperm morphology were significantly improved in the groups treated with Maca compared to the control groups. The results thus highlight, for the first time, the potential efficacy of supplementation with 75 mg/kg of Maca extract daily in improving semen quality in dogs.
玛卡是一种传统的安第斯作物，因其具有与抗氧化活性相关的增强生育能力的特性而被用作营养保健品。本研究的目的是首次评估口服玛卡（或）补充剂对改善雄性犬生殖性能的潜在有益作用。48只不同品种的雄性犬参与了该研究，它们食用相同的维持性饮食，并暴露于相同的环境条件下。研究对象被分为四组，每组12只犬：亚生育治疗组、亚生育对照组、正常生育治疗组和正常生育对照组。治疗组的犬在饮食中以胶囊形式摄入[75毫克/千克玛卡提取物10:1、增稠剂（羟丙基甲基纤维素）、米粉]，而对照组则接受安慰剂胶囊（淀粉）。对于研究中纳入的每只犬，在精子周期的三个时间点分析精液分析图：第0天（T0）、第31天（T1）和第62天（T2）。与对照组相比，亚生育犬补充玛卡后射精量和精子总数显著增加。在治疗组的正常生育犬中也观察到了这种增加。此外，与对照组相比，玛卡治疗组的精子总活力、前向运动能力以及精子形态均有显著改善。因此，这些结果首次凸显了每天补充75毫克/千克玛卡提取物对改善犬精液质量的潜在功效。
