Resveratrol improves cryopreserved goat sperm quality and antioxidant capacity through AMPK/SIRT1/FoxO1 activation

Goat semen cryopreservation generates excessive Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which impair post-thaw quality and physiological function. This study investigated the effects of resveratrol (RES) on cryopreserved goat sperm and the underlying signaling pathway. The results showed that supplementation with 150 μM RES significantly improved post-thaw sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity (P < 0.05), enhanced SOD, CAT, and T-AOC activities, and reduced MDA content and sperm deformity rates (P < 0.05), while higher concentration (200 μM) showed no significant improvement compared to control, suggesting a detrimental effect of excessive RES. Furthermore, RES effectively alleviated cryo-induced ultrastructural damage to sperm. Mechanistically, RES activated AMPK signaling, increased AMPK phosphorylation, and upregulated the expression of SIRT1 and FOXO1 proteins. In contrast, the AMPK Inhibitor Compound C partially blocked these beneficial effects. These findings indicate that RES improves the quality and antioxidant capacity of cryopreserved goat sperm by activating the AMPK/SIRT1/FOXO1 pathway, suggesting that RES can serve as a promising antioxidant additive for goat semen cryopreservation.