| Effects of vitamin E and beta-carotene on sperm competitiveness. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 21749600 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Ecology letters (2011) ABSTRACT: Sperm are particularly prone to oxidative damage because they generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), have a high polyunsaturated fat content and a reduced capacity to repair DNA damage. The dietary compounds vitamin E and beta-carotene are argued to have antioxidant properties that help to counter the damaging effects of excess ROS. Here in, we tested the post-copulatory consequences for male crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) of dietary intake of these two candidate antioxidants. During competitive fertilisation trials, vitamin E, but not beta-carotene, singularly enhanced sperm competitiveness. However, the diet combining a high vitamin E dose and beta-carotene produced males with the most competitive ejaculates, possibly due to the known ability of beta-carotene to recycle vitamin E. Our results provide support for the idea that these two common dietary compounds have interactive antioxidant properties in vivo, by affecting the outcomes of male reproductive success under competitive conditions. |
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Authors:
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Maria Almbro; Damian K Dowling; Leigh W Simmons |
Publication Detail:
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Type: LETTER Date: 2011-7-12 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Ecology letters Volume: - ISSN: 1461-0248 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2011 Jul |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-7-13 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 101121949 Medline TA: Ecol Lett Country: - |
Other Details:
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Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Copyright Information:
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© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS. |
Affiliation:
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Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic. 3800, Australia. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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