Lycopene and resveratrol improve post‐thaw bull sperm parameters: sperm motility,mitochondrial activity and DNA integrity

We focussed on evaluating the protective effect of lycopene and resveratrol on post‐thaw bull sperm and oxidative stress parameters. Nine ejaculates for each bull were used in the study. Each ejaculate, splitted into three equal aliquots and diluted at 37 °C with base extenders containing lycopene (1 × 10^?3 g ml^?1) and resveratrol (1 mm ), and no antioxidant (control), was cooled to 5 °C and then frozen. Frozen straws were thawed in a water bath for evaluation. The supplementation of the semen extender with lycopene and resveratrol increased the percentages of post‐thawed computer‐assisted sperm analysis (CASA) motility (55.8 ± 3.8 and 61.9 ± 4.0%) and progressive motility (38 ± 2.4 and 37 ± 8.8), compared with the controls (50.7 ± 2.65 and 33.3 ± 3.74%, respectively, P < 0.05). Resveratrol provided a higher ALH (4.3 ± 0.1), in comparison with the control (3.9 ± 0.3, P < 0.05). The supplementation of the semen extender with lycopene and resveratrol produced a higher mitochondrial activity (24.6 ± 2.9 and 30.1 ± 6.5% respectively), compared with that of the control (11.8 ± 9.5%, P < 0.05). It was determined that both antioxidants resulted in a lower percentage of sperm with damaged DNA than that of the control (P < 0.05). Sperm motion characteristics except for ALH, acrosome integrity, sperm viability and oxidative stress parameters were not affected by the adding of lycopene and resveratrol.