Sperm production, gonadal oxidative stress, DNA damage biomarkers and reproductive hormonal responses of cocks fed AFB1-contaminated diets supplemented with wireweed leaf.

To assess the ameliorative effects of wireweed leaf supplement (WLS) and ascorbate on reproductive potentials and gonadal oxidative status of cocks fed aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contaminated diets, a total of 250 sexually mature cocks were distributed into five treatment groups: 1 (Control/Basal diet), 2 (Basal + 1 mg/kg AFB1), 3 (Basal + 1 mg/kg AFB1 + 200 mg/kg Ascorbate), 4 (Basal + 1 mg/kg AFB1 + 2.50 g/kg WLS) and 5 (Basal + 1 mg/kg AFB1 + 5.00 g/kg WLS). Each group was replicated 5 times with 10 cocks per replicate. The cocks in group 2 recorded significantly (P < 0.05) reduced daily sperm production and efficiency; gonadal antioxidative enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), total proteins, luteinising hormone and testosterone concentrations while there were significant (P < 0.05) elevations in the gonadal malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) peroxidation activity, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and nitric oxide (NO) levels when compared with cocks in the control group. However, cocks in groups 3, 4 and 5 recorded improvements in all the parameters studied when compared with group 2 cocks. Therefore, inclusions of WLS and ascorbate were beneficial to the reproductive potentials of cocks fed AFB1 contaminated diets.