Supplementation of salvianic acid A to boar semen extender to improve seminal quality and antioxidant capacity.

The purpose of this test was to investigate the effect of salvianic acid A (SAA, CAS No. 76822-21-4) on the quality of boar semen during liquid storage at 17°C. The effects of different concentrations of SAA on semen quality and antioxidant capacity were analyzed. Boar semen was diluted with Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS) containing different concentrations (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 μM of SAA). During the storage period, sperm activity was measured every 24 hr, and plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and catalase (CAT) activity were measured at 0, 1, 3, and 5 days. The results from our study suggest that different concentrations of SAA have different effects on semen preservation. Semen samples supplemented with SAA showed reduced effects of oxidative stress on sperm compared to the control samples. Supplementation of 30 μM of SAA significantly improved sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and antioxidant capacity. However, the addition of SAA to the extender was scarcely beneficial to the improvement of results of artificial insemination with boar semen after liquid preservation. Further studies are necessary in order to demonstrate that SAA has good effects on the liquid preservation of semen.