Influence of common saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on development of ovine oocytes in vitro

Abstract

The present research was undertaken to study the effect of a saturated fatty acid-Palmitic Acid (PA), an unsaturated fatty acid-Oleic Acid (OA) and also to investigate the efficacy of Oleic acid on prevention of detrimental effect of saturated fatty acids on oocyte development in ewes (Ovis aries). Sheep oocytes were matured in vitro in the presence of different concentration of palmitic acid (0, 20, 40 and 60 μM) in experiment 1 and oleic acid (0, 40, 60 and 80 μM) in experiment 2 for 24 h. Oocytes were then in vitro inseminated and evaluated for cleavage rates after 42 h post insemination and presumptive zygotes were evaluated for morulae/blastocyst stages after 7-8 days. In experiment 3, oocyte were matured in vitro in presence of, (a) Palmitic acid (60 μM)+oleic acid (40 μM) in oocyte maturation medium and (b) Oleic acid (40 μM)+stearic acid (30 μM) in medium for 24 h. Palmitic acid, was found to impair the maturation, viability, cleavage and embryo production rates at the level 60 μM in ewes. In contrast, oleic acid improved the oocyte development in vitro. Oleic acid also compensated for the unfavorable effects of palmitic and stearic acid on oocyte development.