Table 1 Criteria for the inclusion of studies in this study and summary of the reviewed publications including samples, fertility score, the applied omics approaches, detailed methods, and statistic method

Bovine spermatozoa

Fertility

Transcriptomic

n = 32

Included (n = 4)

Excluded (n = 28)

- Review paper (n = 3)

- Not sperm cells

- Testicular cells (n = 3)

- Epididymis (n = 2)

- Embryo (n = 3)

- Not related to fertility

- Motility (n = 3)

- Cryostress (n = 1)

- Entire sperm (n = 6)

- No transcriptomic studies (n = 6)

- Different species (n = 1)

The percentage deviation of its conception rate from the average conception of all bulls

Normal > 5.1%

Below-normal < − 10.8%

DNA microarray

2-fold

Feugang et al. [21]

Field conception rates

Normal > 43%

Below-normal < 25%

Agilent microarray

1.5-fold

Saraf et al. [22]

Field conception rates

Normal > 40%

Below-normal < 40%

Quantitative RT-PCR

Correlation

Parthipan et al. [23]

Field conception rates

Normal > 1.8

Below-normal < − 0.4

RNA Seq

2-fold

Card et al. [8]

Porcine spermatozoa

Fertility

Transcriptomic

n = 21

Included (n = 6)

Excluded (n = 15)

- Not sperm cells

- Testicular cells (n = 2)

- Epididymis (n = 1)

- Seminal plasma (n = 1)

- Microbiome (n = 1)

- Not related to fertility

- Motility (n = 2)

- Entire sperm (n = 1)

- Quality (n = 2)

- No transcriptomic studies (n = 2)

Different species (n = 3)

The deviation of both the farrowing rate (FR) and litter size (LS)

Normal: FR > 0.45, LS > 0.15

Below-normal: FR > − 0.12, LS > − 0.18

DNA microarray

Significant

(P < 0.05)

Alvarez-Rodriguez et al. [24]

Litter size

Normal > 17

Below-normal < 17

Quantitative RT-PCR

Correlation

Pang et al.

[20]

Litter size

Normal > 14.0

Below-normal < 10.8

Quantitative RT-PCR

Correlation

Kim et al. [25]

The deviation of both the farrowing rate (FR) and litter size (LS)

Normal: FR > 0.94, LS > 0.11

Below-normal: FR > − 0.42, LS > − 0.14

RNA Seq

Significant

(P < 0.05)

Alvarez-Rodriguez et al. [24]

The deviation of both the farrowing rate (FR) and litter size (LS)

Normal: FR > 0.45, LS > 0.15

Below-normal: FR > − 0.12, LS > − 0.18

DNA microarray

Significant

(P < 0.05)

Alvarez-Rodriguez et al. [26]

Litter size

Normal > 13.6

Below-normal < 11.2

Quantitative RT-PCR

Correlation

Kang et al. [27]

Bovine spermatozoa

Fertility

Proteomic

n = 48

Included (n = 4)

Excluded (n = 44)

- Review paper (n = 6)

- Not sperm cells

- Seminal plasma (n = 10)

- Testicular cells (n = 3)

- Etc (n = 2)

- Not related to fertility

- Functionality (n = 4)

- Cryostress (n = 4)

- Entire sperm (n = 4)

- Heatstress (n = 2)

- Etc (n = 2)

- No proteomic studies (n = 5)

- Full text available/ Limitation to access the protein information (n = 2)

60-d non-return rate (NRR)

Normal ≥ 70%

Below-normal < 70%

2-Dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)

2-fold

Park et al. [10]

The percent deviation of its conception from the average conception of all bulls

Normal > 5.1%

Below-normal < − 10.8%

Multidimensional protein identification technology

2-fold

Peddinti et al. [28]

Fertility solution

(SOL, Zero is average fertility)

Normal > 2

Below-normal < − 3.0

iTRAQ and mass spectrometry

>  1.2-fold or < 0.8-fold

D’Amours et al. [29]

SOL

Normal > 3.0

Below-normal < − 5.0

2-DE

Significant (P < 0.05)

D’Amours et al. [30]

Porcine spermatozoa

Fertility

Proteomic

n = 35

Included (n = 4)

Excluded (n = 31)

- Review paper (n = 8)

- Not sperm cells

- Seminal plasma (n = 6)

- Not related to fertility

- Maturation (n = 3)

- Functionality (n = 1)

- Preservation (n = 5)

- Entire spermatozoa (n = 2)

- No proteomic studies (n = 4)

- ETC (n = 2)

Litter size

Normal > 12

Below-normal < 10

2-DE

3-fold

Kwon et al. [9]

Litter size

Normal > 12

Below-normal < 10

2-DE

3-fold

Kwon et al. [13]

Litter size

Normal > 11

Below-normal < 6

2-DE

4-fold

Kwon et al. [14]

Litter size

Normal > 10.8

Below-normal < 9.6

iTRAQ and strong cation-exchange chromatography (SCX) fractionation

1.2-fold

Chen et al. [31]

Bovine spermatozoa

Fertility

Metabolomic

n = 9

Included (n = 3)

Excluded (n = 6)

- Review paper (n = 1)

- Not sperm cells

- Seminal plasma (n = 2)

- Crossbreed (n = 1)

- Functionality (n = 1)

- Cryostress (n = 1)

Conception rate

Normal > 43%

Below-normal < 25%

LC-MS/MS analysis

Significant (P < 0.05)

Saraf et al. [17]

In vitro fertilization rate

LC-MS/MS analysis

2-fold

Longobardi et al. [18]

The percent deviation of its conception from the average conception of all bulls

Normal > 3.6%

Below-normal < − 3.8%

GC-MS

Significant (P < 0.05)

Menezes et al. [6]