Current study was conducted to appraise the cryoprotective influence of crocetin on quality, oxidative status, and fertility potential of bubaline spermatozoa. Collected semen from four bulls was diluted in five aliquots with (10 μM, 5 μM, 2 μM, 1 μM, and control [0 μM] supplementation of crocetin). After gentle dilution (37 °C), cooling (4 °C, in 2 h), equilibration (4 °C, for 4 h) and packaging of samples was done in straws (polyvinyl French, 0.5 ml), and then frozen (programmable cell freezer). This study established that crocetin supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) improves CASA (Computer Assisted Sperm motion Analyzer) total motility (%), rapid velocity (%), average-path, and curved-line velocities (μm/sec, 10 μM vs. control), and progressive motility (%), straight-line velocity (μm/sec), total antioxidant capacity (TAC, μMol/l), ATP concentrations (nmol/million), and fertility potential (%) (10 μM vs. control, and 1 μM), and mitochondrial potential (%) of buffalo spermatozoa (5, and 10 μM vs. control). Crocetin supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) alleviates DNA fragmentation, seminal plasma ROS (104 RLU/20/25 million, RLU = Relative light unit) levels, and lipid peroxidation (LPO, μMol/ml) in buffalo spermatozoa (10 μM vs. control). In a nutshell, crocetin supplementation improves post-thaw quality by means of motility parameters, motion kinematics, TAC, and ATP concentrations, and fertility potential, and abolished DNA fragmentation parameters, seminal plasma ROS, and LPO concentrations of buffalo spermatozoa. The exact mechanism by which crocetin acts are not fully elucidated; however, it is probable to speculate that the reduction in ROS, and LPO recorded in this study may be related to scavenging ability of this antioxidant during cryopreservation.
Keywords: Buffalo sperm; Crocetin; Fertility; Lipid peroxidation; Reactive oxygen species; Semen quality.
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