EFFECTS OF ISOFLAVONES ON THE SPERMATOGENISIS OF PREPUBERAL BOVINE BULLS

Several studies have been conducted over the effects of isoflavones on health and reproductive parameters of small rodent and humans due to the wide range of proposed negative and positive effects that isoflavones can have. This study was conducted on 39 prepuberal bovine Angus bulls, stratified by weaning weight, sire, and age of dam (AOD) to one of two study diets (DIET) which consisted of Soybean meal treatment group (SBMTRT) or Cottonseed meal control group (CSMCON). The purpose of this study was to investigate average daily gain (ADG), scrotal circumference (SC) and sperm production and morphology. There were profound effects observed with DIET × AOD on ADG in the 3 year and 2 year AOD groups, and semen concentration and volume differences were observed within the 3 yr AOD. All AOD in the CSM groups were significantly lower in all aspects of semen quality and ADG.