Effects of Feeding Coenzyme Q10-Ubiquinol on Plasma Coenzyme Q10 Concentrations and Semen Quality in Stallions.

The research article presents an investigation into the impact of feeding stallions Coenzyme Q10-Ubiquinol, and its effects on the stallions’ blood levels of Coenzyme Q10 and the quality of their semen.

Objective of the Research

• The research aimed to determine the outcomes of daily oral consumption of Coenzyme Q10-Ubiquinol by stallions on their plasma Coenzyme Q10 concentrations and the quality of their semen. The focus on Coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that acts as an energy source for sperm cells, arose from the absence of prior studies examining its effects when fed directly to stallions.

Research Methodology

• The research involved seven mature Andalusian stallions. The procedure had the horses consume 1 gram of ubiquinol per day for a period of four weeks. This was followed by a 4-week washout phase, during which the supplementation was stopped.
• Four additional horses underwent a similar 4-week period, but without the ubiquinol supplementation as a control group.
• Blood samples were taken weekly to measure the concentration of Coenzyme Q10. Every two weeks, the research team collected semen samples. Semen quality was assessed based on total motility, progressive motility, and viability after being cooled for 24hrs, after immediate cryopreservation, and after cryopreservation following 24hrs cooling.

Results & Interpretation

• The research discovered that daily ingestion of ubiquinol increased the concentration of plasma CoQ10 significantly.
• Improved semen quality was noticeable after two weeks of supplementation, especially in terms of viability and progressive motility. In five of the seven stallions, total motility and progressive motility also improved.
• The improvement in semen quality parameters was seen to persist until the end of the sampling period, two weeks after discontinuing the ubiquinol supplementation.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that feeding breeding stallions 1g of CoQ10-ubiquinol daily for four weeks led to enhanced semen quality after cooling and freezing in five out of seven tested stallions.
• The findings suggest potential benefits to reproductive efficiency in stallions and mark an important contribution to the study of how dietary interventions might enhance reproductive health in animals.