Effect of α-tocopherol supplementation on cryosurvival and antioxidant attributes in semen of Ongole (Bos indicus) bulls

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of ?-tocopherol supplementation in Tris-egg yolk extender on cryosurvival and antioxidant status in semen of Ongole bulls. Eighteen ejaculates (six per bull) were divided into four groups: T0.0 (control), and Groups T0.5, T1.0 and T1.5 supplemented with 0.5 mg/ml, 1.0 mg/ml and 1.5 mg/ml ?-tocopherol (VIT E), respectively. Pre-freeze and post-thaw seminal attributes including progressive motility, live sperm count, HOST-reactive sperms and acrosomal integrity were evaluated. Additionally, post-thaw seminal plasma was assessed for total proteins, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Group T1.0 demonstrated significantly (p<0.05) higher post-thaw motility, membrane integrity and acrosomal preservation along with reduced sperm abnormalities compared to the control. Group T1.0 also recorded lowest MDA (3.66±0.88 nmol/ml) and total protein leakage, indicating minimal cryodamage. The above results suggest that ?-tocopherol at 1.0 mg/ml optimally mitigates lipid peroxidation and preserves post-thaw sperm functionality in Ongole (Bos indicus) bulls.