The Influence of Different Seasons on the Motility and Kinetics Parameters of Deep-frozen Semen in Simmental Bulls
Stevan Mitković *
Department of Agriculture and Food Technology Studies, Toplic Academy of Applied Studies, 18400 Prokuplje, Serbia.
Miodrag Jovanović
Department of Agriculture and Food Technology Studies, Toplic Academy of Applied Studies, 18400 Prokuplje, Serbia.
Goran Jakovljević
Institute for Science Application in Agriculture, Bulevar Despota Stefana 68b, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Slobodanka Vakanjac
Department of Reproduction, Fertility and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Bulevar oslobođenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Jovan Ćirić
Department of Agriculture and Food Technology Studies, Toplic Academy of Applied Studies, 18400 Prokuplje, Serbia.
Svetlana Nedić
Department of Reproduction, Fertility and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Bulevar oslobođenja 18, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The aim of the research work was to study the influence of seasons on sperm motility and kinetics parameters of deep frozen semen in Simmental bulls. The study included 43 bulls whose semen was collected and deep-frozen during the summer, autumn, spring, and winter. The semen was analyzed using computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA), whereby 0.25 mL straws were thawed in a water bath at 38 °C for 20 seconds. Present study revealed that the season had no effect on sperm concentration, total and progressive motility, the percentage of fast and slow sperm, sperm moving in circles or in place, or immotile sperm (p > 0.05). Additionally, no seasonal effect (p > 0.05) was observed on sperm kinetic parameters: velocity curved line (VCL), velocity straight line (VSL), velocity average path (VAP), distance curvilinear line (DCL), distance straight line (DSL), distance average path (DAP), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH), head activity (HAC), wobble (WOB), linearity (LIN), and straightness (STR). Further, it was revealed that the values for beat cross frequency (BCF) were found to be only season-dependent, showing significantly lower values when semen was collected and deep-frozen during the summer compared to spring and winter (p < 0.05).
Keywords: Spermatozoa, deep-frozen semen, Simmental bulls, CASA