Seminal Attributes and Semen Cryo-banking of Nepalese Indigenous Achhami ( Bos indicus ) Bull under Ex-situ Conservation

• Published in: Journal of animal reproduction & biotechnology (Online) Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 272 - 279
• Main Authors: Jha, Pankaj Kumar, Sapkota, Saroj, Gorkhali, Neena Amatya, Pokharel, Bhoj Raj, Jha, Ajeet Kumar, Bhandari, Shishir, Shrestha, Bhola Shankar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Korean Society of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology 31-12-2019; 사단법인 한국동물생명공학회
• Subjects: achhami bull; nepal; semen cryopreservation; 축산학
• ISSN: 2671-4639; 2671-4663
• DOI: 10.12750/JARB.34.4.272

The study was conducted to evaluate the seminal attributes and cryo-banking of Achhami (Bos indicus) bull semen. Of two Achhami bulls, 8 ejaculates from each bull were evaluated for seminal attributes. For semen freezing and cryo-banking, 4 ejaculates (having ≥2 mL semen volume, ≥75% of sperm motility and ≥1,000 × 106 cells/mL of sperm concentration) from each bull were used. Semen samples were diluted in egg-yolk-tris-citrate extender using a two-step dilution protocol, and were frozen in liquid nitrogen (LN2) vapour in a styrofoam box. The mean semen volume, colour, sperm mass activity, motility, viability, concentration, abnormal acrosome, midpiece and tail and, abnormal head of two Achhami bulls were 4.4 ± 0.5 mL vs. 2.5 ± 0.2 mL, 2.5 ± 0.1 vs. 2.4 ± 0.1, 3.5 ± 0.1 vs. 3.5 ± 0.1, 77.0 ± 1.1% vs. 78.3 ± 1.3%, 94.4 ± 0.5% vs. 91.0 ± 0.6%, 1137.7 ± 73.7 × 106 cells/mL vs. 1060.0 ± 44.3 × 106 cells/mL, 10.2 ± 0.5% vs. 10.3 ± 0.5% and 6.7 ± 0.5% vs. 8.2 ± 0.3%, respectively. The post-thawed sperm motility and viability were 53.0 ± 2.0% vs. 50.0 ± 0.0% and 80.2 ± 0.4% vs. 73.2 ± 0.7%, while evaluating by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system, the percentage of the progressive motility, fast motility, slow motility, local motility and immotile sperm were 75%, 68%, 7.4%, 16.6% and 8.6%, respectively. A total number of 620 doses semen straw were cryo-banked. Due to the acceptable post-thawed sperm motility and viability recorded, cryopreservation of Achhami semen is hereby recommended so as to preserve the Achhami breed. For further validation, the fertility will be observed from the produced frozen semen.