Abstract
The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of melatonin (MT) on sperm motility, viability, total sperm abnormality, acrosomal and plasma membrane integrity, DNA abnormality, antioxidant profiles such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), enzymatic profiles such as aspartate amino transaminase (AST), alanine amino transaminase (ALT), and biochemical profiles such as malonaldehyde (MDA) production and cholesterol efflux. Total numbers of 30 ejaculates were collected twice a week from eight mithun bulls and semen was split into five equal aliquots, diluted with the TEYC extender. Group 1 has semen without additives (control) and group 2 to group 5 have semen that was diluted with 1 mM, 2 mM, 3 mM, and 4 mM of melatonin, respectively. These seminal parameters, antioxidant, enzymatic, and biochemical profiles were assessed at 5°C for 0, 6, 12, 24, and 30 h of incubation. Inclusion of melatonin into diluent resulted in significant (P<0.05) decrease in percentages of dead spermatozoa, abnormal spermatozoa, and acrosomal abnormalities at different hours of storage periods as compared with control group. Additionally, melatonin at 3 mM has significant improvement in quality of mithun semen than melatonin at 1 mM, 2 mM or 4 mM stored inin vitrofor up to 30 h. It was concluded that the possible protective effects of melatonin on sperm parameters are it prevents MDA production and preserve the antioxidants and intracellular enzymes during preservation.
Highlights
Mithun (Bos frontalis) is a semiwild free-range, rare bovine species present in the North-Eastern Hill (NEH) region of India
Results revealed that inclusion of melatonin into diluent resulted in decreases (P < 0.05) in percentages of dead spermatozoa, abnormal spermatozoa and acrosomal abnormalities when semen samples were examined at different hours of storage periods compared with the control group
The results revealed that addition of melatonin has improved the seminal parameters, enzymatic and biochemical profiles of mithun semen and it protects the structures and functions of spermatozoa efficiently
Summary
Mithun (Bos frontalis) is a semiwild free-range, rare bovine species present in the North-Eastern Hill (NEH) region of India. The animal has an important place in the social, cultural, religious, and economic life of the tribal population in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Recent statistics indicates that the mithun population is decreasing gradually due to lack of suitable breeding bulls, increase in intensive inbreeding practices, declining land area for grazing and lack of suitable breeding and feeding management in NEH region. Greater efforts are required from all quarters to preserve the mithun population to enhance the socioeconomic status of this region. Since mithuns are semiwild animal and not fully domesticated, natural breeding is practiced in this species with accompanied limitations like cost and disease transmission. Use of artificial insemination for improvement of its pedigree is utmost essential
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