During 18 months of study, was to analyze 5 males sperm characteristics of ocelots (Leopards pardalis) in captivity by means of the seminal and endocrine evaluation, adding to the common diet of a commercial nutritional supplement (CENTRUM® Mutilivitamínic), to determine its effect, on the seminal quality of this species.

The study was divided in two stages, one without supplement diet and another one with supplement, one half tablet of CENTRUM®; the collection of the blood samples and semen was every two months. The collection of excrements was done weekly, the steroid assay was made by radioimmunoassay. The collection of semen was made by means of electro ejaculations, the sanguineous samples were used to quantify the testosterone concentrations (endocrine evaluation), cortisol (stress evaluation) by Radioimmunoassay, fatty acids by HPLC, vitamins by gas chromatography (nutrition evaluation). The statistic analysis was made by Hypothesis test. The population presented a significant difference in the sperm concentration after the supplement (P = 0,0132), also in the sperm production by the testicle units (P = 0,0442). In the evaluation of the sperm morphology, it was observed a diminution of abnormality's which indicated that the supplement had a positive effect; however it was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). After applying supplement, concentrations of fecal testosterone, increased significantly (P = 0,034). In the nutritional analysis, it was detected that the supplement has a positive effect when increasing significantly the concentration of vitamin-E in blood (P = 0,001) and there was no significant difference observed in the sanguineous fatty acid concentrations Omega-3 and Omega-6.

Based upon above, it is concluded that the zoological diet is deficient and the nutritional supplement improves the sperm production and the reproduction success of the species.