Seasonal impact on semen quality parameters in Murrah buffalo bull

This study was conducted to examine the effect of different seasons i.e., winter and summer season on the seminal characteristics including the hypo osmotic swelling test, acrosomal integrity, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and seminal antioxidant enzyme activity of Murrah buffalo bull. Semen ejaculates from five Murrah bull was collected once a week using an artificial vagina method (42–45 °C). The temperature humidity index (THI) was 29.25±0.49 during winter season and 35.67±0.66 during summer. For winter VS summer season, the overall mean value of ejaculated volume was 4.31±0.09 VS 4.31±0.09 ml, initial motility 75.88±1.13 VS 73.33±1.20%, sperm concentration 978.94±13.83 VS 955.93±14.72 million/ml, HOST reactive sperm 63.98±0.70 VS 61.55±0.75%, acrosomal integrity 73.57±1.12 VS 68.63±1.19% and DNA fragmentation was 68.63±1.19 and 3.24±0.15%. Ejaculate volume, initial motility, sperm concentration, and hypoosmotic swelling test, acrosomal integrity were all considerably (p<0.01) higher in the winter than in the summer, with the exception of DNA fragmentation. The antioxidant enzyme i.e. Glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase levels were significantly higher (p<0.01) during the winter compared to the summer season. The lipid peroxidation was significantly (18.51±1.12 VS 22.85±1.19 nmoles MDA/ml) lower in the winter season than the summer season. Glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase levels were all higher (p<0.01) in the winter than in the summer. Moreover, amounts of malonaldehyde increased (p<0.01) in the summer. The results show that Murrah bulls produced higher-quality semen throughout the winter, while the summer had a detrimental effect on the quality of the semen. The findings indicate the amounts of antioxidant enzymes are insufficient to maintain the quality of the semen throughout the summer.