Antioxidant properties of Moringa oleifera Lam. hay and its effect on the reproductive capacity of rams

Michele Pereira da Silva; Hymerson Costa Azevedo; Evandro Neves Muniz; Rafael Dantas dos Santos; Ana Mara de Oliveira e Silva; Larissa de Oliveira Queiroz; Iranildo Soares Bispo; Matheus Batista de Oliveira; Julio Constantino Jerí Molina; Gladston Rafael de Arruda Santos

doi:10.1590/1984-3143-AR2025-0078

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Antioxidant properties of Moringa oleifera Lam. hay and its effect on the reproductive capacity of rams

Michele Pereira da Silva; Hymerson Costa Azevedo; Evandro Neves Muniz; Rafael Dantas dos Santos; Ana Mara de Oliveira e Silva; Larissa de Oliveira Queiroz; Iranildo Soares Bispo; Matheus Batista de Oliveira; Julio Constantino Jerí Molina; Gladston Rafael de Arruda Santos

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1984-3143-AR2025-0078 Anim Reprod, vol.23, n3, e20250078, 2026

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of Moringa oleifera hay and the effects of its dietary inclusion on the reproductive potential of rams. Twenty-eight adult rams, with a mean age of two years and an average body weight of 69.36 ± 1.29 kg, were randomly allocated into four experimental groups (G) and subjected to isoproteic diets composed of 30% concentrate (corn, soybean meal, and urea), sorghum silage (SS), and MOH in different proportions: G0 (control: 0% MOH, 70% SS); G10 (10% MOH, 60% SS); G20 (20% MOH, 50% SS); G30 (30% MOH, 40% SS), along with ad libitum water. Semen collections were performed every 15 days for seminal and sperm evaluations. M. oleifera (MO) hay was analyzed for total phenolic compounds, flavonoid content, and in vitro antioxidant capacity and was compared with fresh MO. Total antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma was determined using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. MOH did not differ from MO in total phenolic content (33.38 vs. 33.64mg GA Eq/g), but its flavonoid content was higher (4.75 vs. 3.88 mg CAT Eq/g). DPPH (802.00 vs. 1840.38 µg/mL), ABTS (1091.78 vs. 2943.82 µg/mL), and FRAP (418.08 vs. 146.83 mg/mL) The results indicated greater antioxidant and reducing capacity in MO hay. No differences were observed among groups regarding total antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma or conventional seminal parameters (P> 0.05). However, regardless of the inclusion level, groups supplemented with MO hay showed a higher percentage of sperm plasma membrane integrity (P < 0.05) compared with the control group at all evaluation time points. It is concluded that the haymaking process enhances the antioxidant capacity of MO and that its inclusion in the diet of rams improves sperm plasma membrane integrity, positively reflecting semen quality. Thus, the use of MO hay may be considered a promising nutritional strategy to increase the reproductive potential of rams.

Keywords

spermatozoa, fertility, ram, semen

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Submitted date:
10/14/2025

Accepted date:
05/05/2026

Antioxidant properties of Moringa oleifera Lam. hay and its effect on the reproductive capacity of rams

Michele Pereira da Silva; Hymerson Costa Azevedo; Evandro Neves Muniz; Rafael Dantas dos Santos; Ana Mara de Oliveira e Silva; Larissa de Oliveira Queiroz; Iranildo Soares Bispo; Matheus Batista de Oliveira; Julio Constantino Jerí Molina; Gladston Rafael de Arruda Santos

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