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Trace minerals for improved performance: a review of Zn and Cu supplementation effects on male reproduction in goats

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Abstract

Minerals are required in small amounts but play significant roles in many physiological functions related with growth, reproduction, and health of goats such as biochemical, molecular systems, and optimized enzymatic activities due to their roles as co-factors to metalloenzymes. Among them, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are leading essential elements in goat nutrition, because of their role across several biological functions. The proportion of these minerals availability and absorption from the ingested feed is usually less, because of their complexities with un-degradable parts of feed resources. Hence, their exogenous supplementation is required for normal animal functions. On this background, this review presents findings associated with supplementation of these minerals in organic form as a way for improving the fertility of male goats with special focus on physico-chemical-kinetics of the semen for improving the application of reproductive technologies. This review emphasizes the organic sources of these minerals to replace the inorganic sources, based on their significance in improving semen qualities, antioxidant protection, and mediation of molecular activities. This review also discusses salient routes of Zn and Cu absorption and identifies the need for molecular exploration for positive outcomes with supplementation of these minerals as an area of the future goat nutrition-reproduction improvement strategy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Director, ICAR-NIANP, Adugodi, Bengaluru; Department of Biotechnology, Jain University, Bengaluru; CSIR fellowship (CSIR-HRDG); and DBT project (BT/PR10901/AAQ/1/581/2014) for doing PhD work through research space and support.

Funding

The research work and PhD programme were supported by DBT project (BT/PR10901/AAQ/1/581/2014) and CSIR-HRDG (CSIR/09/1158(0001)/2017-EMR-l), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Physiology Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560030, India

    Venkata K. Mayasula, Arangasamy Arunachalam, Sikiru A. Babatunde, Sharanya J. Naidu, Selvaraju Sellappana, Binsila B. Krishnan & Reddy I. Janardhan

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Jain University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

    Venkata K. Mayasula

  3. DBT –TWAS, Federal University of Technology, Minna, 920626, Nigeria

    Sikiru A. Babatunde

  4. Bioenergetics and Environmental Sciences Division, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560030, India

    Umaya S. Rajendran

  5. ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560030, India

    Raghavendra Bhatta

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  1. Venkata K. Mayasula
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  2. Arangasamy Arunachalam
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Contributions

The draft of the manuscript was written mainly by Venkata K. Mayasula and partially by Sikiru A. Babatunde and Sharanya J. Naidu. The article is intensively commented on initial stage of the manuscript and corrected by Arangasamy Arunachalam. It is proof edited by Selvaraju Sellappana, Binsila B. Krishnan, Umaya S. Rajendran, Reddy I. Janardhan, and Raghavendra Bhatta. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Arangasamy Arunachalam.

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Mayasula, V.K., Arunachalam, A., Babatunde, S.A. et al. Trace minerals for improved performance: a review of Zn and Cu supplementation effects on male reproduction in goats. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 491 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02943-5

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