The Effects of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles on Spermatological Parameters of Merino Ram

In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as a rapidly advancing field with diverse applications across various sectors including materials science, electronics, healthcare, aerospace, environmental sustainability, defense, biotechnology, agriculture, and food industries. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have recently gained significance as nanomaterials due to their stability, inert properties, thermal durability, low density, minimal toxicity, and biocompatibility. These attributes will make mesoporous silica nanoparticles instrumental in drug delivery systems, cellular imaging, and therapeutic interventions. In this study, aimed at assessing the potential of MSNs as effective carriers for various materials to spermatozoa (sptz), experimental groups were established as control (C), MSN10 (10 μg/107 sptz), MSN20 (20 μg/107 sptz), and MSN40 (40 μg/107 sptz). To investigate this hypothesis, semen was collected from five healthy rams (2-3 years of age), pooled, diluted, and divided into experimental groups. Following this study, analyses were conducted on motility, dead-live spermatozoa ratio, functional integrity of the sperm's plasma membrane (HOST), and abnormal spermatozoa ratios across five replicates. It was observed that MSNs did not have a negative effect on the freezability of ram semen in terms of dead-live spermatozoa ratio and HOST data, but caused an increase in motility (MSN40) and head and tail abnormality levels compared to the control group, though still within acceptable ranges. In the light of the data obtained, it is suggested that MSNs can be used as biocarriers for ram semen in terms of basic spermatological parameters, but it is necessary to expand the scope of the research and conduct more detailed analyzes.