Reproductive aging in farm animals: Impacts on fertility and strategies for mitigation: A narrative review

Abstract

The livestock sector is a vital component of India's agricultural economy, providing essential support to rural communities and ensuring food security. Efficient reproductive performance is critical to sustaining livestock productivity, yet age-related declines in both male and female fertility pose significant challenges. The current review highlights that male reproductive efficiency is closely tied to semen quality, which deteriorates with age due to oxidative stress, leading to reduced fertilizing capacity and embryonic developmental potential. Similarly, female reproductive longevity is predominantly influenced by ovarian health, which declines with age due to diminished oocyte quality and quantity. This decline is exacerbated by oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to reproductive senescence and reduced offspring viability. Understanding the mechanisms of reproductive aging and developing strategies to mitigate its effects are crucial for enhancing livestock productivity and sustaining the agrarian economy.

Keywords

Sperm / Oocyte / Oxidative stress / Mitochondrial dysfunction / Reactive oxygen species / Anti-oxidants

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Funding

The study receives no extramural funding.

Authors’ contributions

Akhter Rasool was responsible for writing, editing, and reviewing the original draft. Sachin reviewed the study's concept and design. Irtiqa Manzoor and Akshata Patil contributed to the literature search, writing, and supervision. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Publisher’s Note

The Publisher of the Journal remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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