(44) Effects of Mushroom Extract on Bovine Oocyte in vitro Maturation (IVM) and Lipid Metabolism 

Erika V. Pearsall¹; Alexa McDonald¹; Jhordyn Ellison¹; Uchenna Y. Anele¹; Omoanghe S. Isikhuemhen²; Lauren M. Mayo¹

1.Department of Animal Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 
2. Department of Natural Resources, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 

Abstract Text:

The increased use of feed additives to reduce methane in dairy cows leads to interest in the potential effects they have on embryo development. Similar to mushroom extract, feed supplements high in polyunsaturated fatty acids increase progesterone which is needed for pregnancy maintenance. The hypothesis was the addition of mushroom extract would increase the IVM rate and embryo survival rate. The objective of this study was to determine a non-toxic dose of mushroom extract when added to the oocytes during IVM. Bovine ovaries were obtained from a local packing facility, then transported and washed in sterile 0.09% NaCl. Oocytes were retrieved via aspiration of the ovarian follicle. Only grades A and B were kept for maturation. Groups of 50 oocytes were randomly placed into a 4 well plate with commercial IVM media with the mushroom extract treatment added. The treatments included a control, mushroom extract 1:1, and mushroom extract 1:1000. The oocytes were incubated for 24 hrs. Immediately after removing the plates from the incubator, the oocytes were evaluated for cumulus cell expansion as an indicator of maturation. A subset of 50 oocytes per treatment were reserved for RNA isolation and QRTPCR.  The oocytes checked for expansion were then stained with Nile Red, Mitotracker, and a Hoescht stain for lipid abundance, mitochondrial function, and nuclear maturation respectively. The COC expansion rates were 83.5% ±8.5, 83.5% ±16.8, and 71.5% ±4.6 for the control, mushroom 1:1000, and mushroom 1:1. Qualitative analysis of Nile Red for lipid abundance indicated the oocytes in the mushroom 1:1 concentration exhibited a greater lipid abundance than the oocytes in the mushroom 1:1000 concentration and control. Mushroom extract may be a non-toxic method to improve in vitro embryo production.