Asian Journal of Animal Sciences1819-1878xxxx-xxxxxAsian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/ajas.2015.13.24Abdel-KhalekA.E. ZaghloolH.K. GabrSh. A. 1201591This study aimed to evaluate the effect of daily oral administration of free
L-carnitine (LC) for 3 months on digestibility coefficients, blood parameters
and semen traits of Friesian bulls. Total of 9 bulls (360±32.1 kg LBW
and 20±1.4 months of age) were assigned into 3 groups. Bulls in G1, G2
and G3 were fed the same diet and kept under the same conditions but differed
in LC level (0, 1 and 2 g h-1 day-1, respectively). Bulls
were received LC for 3 months (treatment period). At the end of treatment, semen
was collected from bulls twice a week for 12 weeks and evaluated for ejaculate
volume, sperm progressive motility, livability and abnormality, sperm concentration
and total sperm output. Also, digestibility coefficients were performed and
blood samples were collected. Concentration of Total Proteins (TP), albumin
(AL), globulin (GL), urea-N, cholesterol (CHO), glucose and Total Lipids (TL),
activity of AST and ALT and testosterone were determined in blood serum. Results
show that bulls in G3 showed highest (p<0.05) digestibility coefficients.
Only concentration of TP and GL increased (p<0.05), AL/GL ratio and CHO and
TL concentrations reduced (p<0.05) in LC groups. All semen characteristics
improved (p<0.05) in LC groups, being better (p<0.05) in G3 than in G2.
Serum testosterone concentration was higher (p<0.05) in G2 and G3 than in
G1. In conclusion, oral dose of LC at a level of 2 g h-1 day-1
for 3 months had impact to achieve high quality semen to spread the use of artificial
insemination with bulls of high fertility.]]>Aitken, R.J., M.A. Baker and D. Sawyer,200376570Akey, S.N.,20002000Amann, R.P. and R.H. Hammerstedt,198023647656AOAC.,199515th Edn.,Pages: 1094Pages: 1094Arrigoni-Martelli, E. and V. Caso,2001272749Blom, E.,19831983pp: 6181Boyd, J.W.,198413714Brooks, D.E.,197956667673Carlson, D.B., J.W. McFadden, A. D'Angelo, J.C. Woodworth and J.K. Drackley,20079034223441Carlson, D.B., N.B. Litherland, H.M. Dann, J.C. Woodworth and J.K. Drackley,20068948194834Chalupa, W.,19723111521164Chapa, A.M., J.M. Fernandez, T.W. White, L.D. Bunting, L.R. Gentry, J.C. Lovejoy and K.Q. Owen,2001401328Citil, M., M. Karapehlivan, H.M. Erdogan, R. Yucayurt, E. Atakisi and O. Atakisi,200981174177Dokmeci, D.,2005472630Duncan, D.B.,195511142Groff, J.L. and S.S. Gropper,20003rd Edn.,Hackett, A.J. and J.W. Macpherson,196565562Hadadinezhad, S., N. Ghazaleh and Z. Razavi,20081213Heo, K., J. Odle, I.K. Han, W. Cho, S. Seo, E. van Heugten and D.H. Pilkington,200013018091814Hoppel, C.,200341S4S12Jacyno, E., A. Kolodziej, M. Kamyczek, M. Kawecka, K. Dziadek and A. Pietruszka,200776595600Jaffe, B.M. and N.R. Behrman,1974Jeulin, C. and L.M. Lewin,1996287102Jeulin, C., J.L. Dacheux and J.C. Soufir,1994100263271Jeulin, C., J.C. Soufir, J. Marson, M. Paquignon and J.L. Dacheux,198779523529Kalaiselvi, T. and C. Panneerselvam,19989575581Kellog, D.W. and D.D. Miller,19771977Kertz, A.F., M.K. Koepke, L.E. Davidson, N.L. Betz and J.R. Norris et al.,198265587604Kirby, J.D. and D.P. Froman,20002000pp: 595-607pp: 595-607Kozink, D.M., M.J. Estienne, A.F. Harper and J.M. Knight,20046112471258LaCount, D.W., J.K. Drackley and D.J. Weigel,19957818241836Ladha, S., 1998165110Carter, A.L., S.M. Hutson, F.W. Stratman and R.V. Haning Jr.,198023820825Lenzi, A., F. Lombardo, P. Sgro, P. Salacone, L. Caponecchia, F. Dondero and L. Gandini,200379292300Matalliotakis, I., Y. Koumantaki, A. Evageliou, G. Matalliotakis, A. Goumenou and E. Koumantakis,200045236240Mehrez, A.Z., E.R. Orskov and I. McDonald,197738437443Newman, D.J., G.M. Cragg, S. Holbeck and E.A. Sausville,20022279308Ng, C.M., M.R. Blackman, C. Wang and R.S. Swerdloff,20041033177188Owen, K.Q., J.L. Nelssen, R.D. Goodband, T.L. Weeden and S.A. Blum,19967416121619Patton, C.J. and S.R. Crouch,197749464469Rincker, M.J., S.D. Carter, D.E. Real, J.L. Nelssen and M.D. Tokach et al.,20038122592269Rawlings, N.C. and S.J. Cook,198666975982Reitman, S. and S. Frankel,1957285663SAS.,2004Sigman, M., S. Glass, J. Campagnone and J.L. Pryor,20068514091414Szilagyi, M.,199849209218Tietz, N.W. and A.B. Amerson,19902nd Edn.,Pages: 931Pages: 931Tietz, N.W.,19942nd Edn.,pp: 692pp: 692Van Dop, C., S.M. Hutson and H.A. Lardy,197725213031308Vaz, F.M. and R.J.A. Wanders,200236417429Vicari, E. and A.E. Calogero,20011623382342Wahner, M., M. Geyer, G. Hallfarth and U. Huhn,200476196207, (In German)Watson, D.,19605637637Zhai, W., S.L. Neuman, M.A. Latour and P.Y. Hester,20078622282235Zollner, N. and K. Kirsch,1962135545561Trinder, P.,196962427