Rubus coreanus is known to have diverse biological properties, such as free radical scavenging activity and antibacterial activity. In the present study, Rubus coreanus leaf and stem extract (RLSE) was used in boar semen preservation whether it has a beneficial effect on assisted reproductive technology (ART) in mammals. Boar spermatozoa were preserved in Beltsville thawing solution (BTS) in the presence of varying concentrations of RLSE (0-10 μg/mL). Sperm motility, sperm viability, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were examined after 2 days of preservation. The percentage of total motile spermatozoa and progressive motile spermatozoa improved in the spermatozoa preserved with 0.5 μg/mL RLSE. Higher proportions of viable spermatozoa were seen in the presence of 0.5 and 1 μg/mL RLSE than in the control. Intracellular ROS levels decreased when the spermatozoa were preserved in BTS with 0.1–1 μg/mL RLSE. In order to examine the bacterial growth, E. coli was added to liquid semen diluted with antibiotics-free BTS in the presence or absence of RLSE. No anti-bacterial activity of RLSE against E. coli was observed during liquid semen preservation. Although there was no inhibition of E. coli growth, the addition of RLSE might help improve sperm motility and viability during boar semen preservation, suggesting it as a potential reagent for ART in mammals.

A total of nine Korean indigenous goats were used in a cross-over arrangement to give nine replicates per treatment, and they were housed individually assigned to 1 of 9 dietary treatments. Nine treatments were 0, 500, and 1000 ppm of quercetin supplementation in diets by mixing roughage and concentrate with different ratios (RC ratio) of 3:7 (RC 30), 5:5 (RC 50) and 7:3 (RC 70). Nutrient utilizations of dry matter, crude fat and NDF were not affected by neither RC ratio nor dietary quercetin (p>0.05), but the rate of crude protein and ADF increased in animals in RC 70 group regardless of quercetin supplementation (p<0.05). In addition, higher RC ratio increased (p<0.05) N retention and N retention rate. Total VFA, acetic acid, propionic acid, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, iso-valeric acid and valeric acid contents were not affected (p>0.05) by dietary quercetin. Meanwhile, lower total cholesterol level exhibited in animals in RC 70 group compared to RC 30 or 50 groups, unrelated to dietary quercetin (p<0.05), however other plasma parameters were not influenced (p>0.05) by RC ratio and dietary quercetin. Our results indicated that both RC ratio and dietary quercetin may not directly affect the production indices and immune responses in Korean indigenous goat