Semen quality and frozen semen production in Pasundan bulls: A molecular weight perspective on seminal plasma and spermatozoa protein

Abdullah Baharun; Annisa Rahmi; Ristika Handarini; Tulus Maulana; Syahruddin Said; Hikmayani Iskandar; Imam Darussalam; Wilmientje Marlene Mesang Nalley; Raden Iis Arifiantini

doi:10.5455/javar.2023.j728

Semen quality and frozen semen production in Pasundan bulls: A molecular weight perspective on seminal plasma and spermatozoa protein

J Adv Vet Anim Res. 2023 Dec 31;10(4):730-737. doi: 10.5455/javar.2023.j728. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Abdullah Baharun¹, Annisa Rahmi¹, Ristika Handarini¹, Tulus Maulana², Syahruddin Said², Hikmayani Iskandar², Imam Darussalam³, Wilmientje Marlene Mesang Nalley⁴, Raden Iis Arifiantini⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animals Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Djuanda University, Bogor, Indonesia.
² Research Center for Applied Zoology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia.
³ Technical Unit of Beef Cattle Breeding and Artificial Insemination Development Ciamis, West Java Province Departement of Food Security and Livestock, Ciamis, Indonesia.
⁴ Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Marine and Fisheries, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Kupang, Indonesia.
⁵ Division of Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the correlation between the molecular weight (MW) of proteins in seminal plasma and spermatozoa and the quality of fresh and frozen semen production in Pasundan bulls.

Materials and methods: Nine selected Pasundan bulls, aged 5-10 years, from the Regional Artificial Insemination Center at Ciamis, West Java, Indonesia, were used in the study, with fresh semen sperm motility ≥70% and <70%. We analyzed the motility, viability, integrity of the intact plasma membrane (IPM), and the morphological characteristics of spermatozoa. 1D-SDS-PAGE analysis was performed to determine the protein profile by assessing MW, depicted as bands on the gel.

Results: The motility, viability, and IPM of spermatozoa had lower values (p < 0.05) in Pasundan bulls named Bagaskara and Kertarajasa compared to the other bulls. Proteins with MW 35-50 kDa were not detected in the seminal plasma of Pasundan bulls, exhibiting low quality in fresh semen. The correlation analysis showed that the non-detected proteins with MW 35-50 kDa in seminal plasma correlated with spermatozoa motility (r = 0.421), viability (r = 0.424), and IPM (r = 0.428) so that fresh semen quality was low in both Pasundan bulls. Analysis of semen volume, spermatozoa concentration, and spermatozoa motility showed that the average frozen semen production of Pasundan bulls per ejaculate was 128.73 ± 15.35 straws.

Conclusion: Protein analysis based on MW is a predictive indicator for the quality of fresh semen and the production of frozen semen in Pasundan bulls. Evaluation parameters of fresh semen quality by MW analysis can be used to select Pasundan bulls in Indonesia.

Keywords: Fresh semen; Pasundan bull; West Java bulls; local bulls; sperm quality.