{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T05:00:16Z","timestamp":1785474016372,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785283200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Int. J. Mol. Sci.","IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigated the effects of supplementing Tris semen extender with protocatechuic acid (PCA) at doses of 25, 50, and 100 \u00b5g\/mL on the quality of ram spermatozoa after cryopreservation. We evaluated motility, kinematic parameters, DNA integrity, redox status, plasma membrane\u2013acrosome integrity (PMAI), viability, and high mitochondrial membrane potential (HMMP). PCA supplementation produced concentration-dependent and parameter-specific responses. The 25 \u00b5g\/mL PCA group exhibited the most favorable functional profile, demonstrating improved progressive and total motility alongside reduced DNA damage. This protective effect was evidenced by lower tail length, tail DNA percentage, and tail moment in the comet assay. Conversely, treatment with 100 \u00b5g\/mL PCA appeared to exert a notable effect on the redox balance, indicated by lower malondialdehyde, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index levels, alongside an elevated total antioxidant status (p &lt; 0.05). However, this higher concentration (100 \u00b5g\/mL) did not provide parallel DNA protection and was associated with increased comet assay indices. PMAI, viability, and HMMP were not significantly affected by PCA supplementation (p &gt; 0.05). These findings indicate that PCA exerts dose-dependent but parameter-specific effects on frozen\u2013thawed ram spermatozoa. Low-dose PCA, particularly 25 \u00b5g\/mL, appears more suitable for preserving motility and nuclear integrity, whereas 100 \u00b5g\/mL mainly improves oxidative balance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27156817","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T17:01:46Z","timestamp":1785344506000},"page":"6817","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Dose-Dependent Effects of Protocatechuic Acid on Motility, Redox Balance, and DNA Integrity of Frozen\u2013Thawed Ram Spermatozoa"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2827-1286","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Umut","family":"Ta\u015fdemir","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara 06070, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatih","family":"Avdatek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar 03200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6954-6309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muhammed Enes","family":"\u0130nan\u00e7","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur 15030, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3460-522X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u015e\u00fckr\u00fc","family":"G\u00fcng\u00f6r","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur 15030, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mehmet Fuat","family":"G\u00fclhan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicinal Aromatic Plants, Technical Sciences Vocational School, Aksaray University, Aksaray 68100, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7586-0895","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bar\u0131\u015f","family":"Denk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar 03200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Murat","family":"K\u0131r\u0131kkulak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar 03200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9105-5677","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Deniz","family":"Yeni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar 03200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"59591","article-title":"An overview on extenders used in ram sperm cryopreservation","volume":"36","author":"Sevilla","year":"2025","journal-title":"Agron. 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