Investigating the interplay of testosterone and zinc in the reproductive physiology of Ongole bulls

Abstract

Plenty of studies were conducted on the effect of zinc supplementation on testosterone production in various species animals including bovines but studies directly investigating the relationship between serum testosterone and serum zinc concentrations are scanty, particularly in Bos indicus breeds like Ongole. Hence this study was aimed to address this gap by investigating this relationship in breeding Ongole bulls. The study was conducted at Livestock Research Station, Lam, Guntur with the adult breeding bulls of the station (n=6). Serum testosterone and serum zinc of the breeding bulls in the study were analyzed. Our findings revealed a significant inverse relationship: bulls with high serum testosterone levels tend to have lower serum zinc concentrations, and vice versa. Given the established role of zinc in testosterone production, we conclude that increased testosterone synthesis in these bulls is associated with a corresponding decrease in serum zinc concentration, likely reflecting zinc utilization in this process of testosterone synthesis. This study putforth the dynamic interplay between serum testosterone and serum zinc in Ongole bulls, an area that has been underexplored. These results emphasize the importance of adequate zinc nutrition for optimal testosterone production and overall reproductive performance in this breed, and indicate that the serum zinc availability may vary with the animal's current testosterone production.