DNA damage, oxidative stress, decreased viability and motility in common carp (Cyprinuscarpio L.) spermatozoa induced by tryptophan, phenylalanine and cysteine amino acids during short-term storage

Abstract

Free amino acids are found in spermatozoa and seminal plasma. Their qualitative and quantitative presence have beenaffected by many factors. Under in vitro storage conditions, their effects on spermatozoa in animal species and also human havebeen concerned over the last decades. In this study, the effects of tryptophan, phenylalanine and cysteine on DNA integrity, lipidperoxidation, viability and motility parameters in spermatozoa of the common carp (Cyprinuscarpio) were assessed during short-termstorage. Spermatozoa were incubated at 1, 5, 25, and 50 mM of these amino acids in vitro at 4 °C in a time‐dependent manner (6,24, and 48 h). The supplementation of cysteine, phenylalanine and >5 mM of tryptophan to the incubation medium attenuated thespermatozoa motility parameters and viability. Particularly, >1 mM of cysteine completely inhibited progressive motility and decreasedviability to