ANBAR JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Abstract

This study was conducted to figure out the synergistic effect of adding some antioxidants to Tris extender on total sperm abnormalities percentage (TSAP) of Holstein bulls for preservation periods cooling at 5◦C and 48 h, 1 and 2 months post cryopreservation, PC. This experiment was executed at the Artificial Insemination Department, Ministry of Agriculture in Abu-Ghraib region (25 Km west of Baghdad) during the period from 15th November 2015 to 30th March 2016. Semen was collected via artificial vagina in one ejaculate per bull per week for the 6-week experimental period. Pooled semen was equally divided into five groups using Tris extender. Combinations of vitamin C+carnitine 5 and 7.5 mm ml-1, respectively; A2, vitamin E + coenzyme Q10 0.2 and 0.5 mm ml-1, respectively; A3, vitamin E + α-lipoic acid (0.2 and 0.5 mm ml-1, respectively; A4 and carnitine + catalase 7.5 mm and 100 IU ml-1, respectively; A5) were added to Tris extender and comparisons in response were made with the control group (Tris extender, A1). The TSAP was significantly (P≤ 0.05, P≤ 0.01) lesser in A4 and A5 groups as compared with the A1 group at cooling and 48 h PC time periods. At 1 and 2 months PC, TSAP was less (P≤ 0.01) in the A5 as compared with A1 group. It was also noted increasing the proportion of moral distortions during different periods of conservation within the same group. It can be concluded that the synergistic effect of adding carnitine and catalase (A5) as well as vitamin E and α-lipoic acid may positively contributed to the decline in TSAP and thereby increasing the conception and pregnancy rates of cows inseminated with.