Efficacy of Hormonal Stimulation on Laparoscopic Ovum Pick‐Up Response in Jakhrana Goats

Laparoscopic ovum pick-up (LOPU) coupled with in vitro embryo production (IVEP) offers an efficient strategy for genetic improvement and conservation in goats; however, breed-specific variation in ovarian response necessitates optimization of hormonal stimulation protocols. The present study evaluated the efficacy of exogenous gonadotropin stimulation on LOPU response in Jakhrana goats, an economically important dual-purpose but threatened indigenous breed. A total of 48 adult does were used across two experimental series. In the first experiment, 24 goats were assigned to hormonally stimulated (n = 12) and unstimulated control (n = 12) groups. In the second experiment, another 24 goats were allocated to compare two gonadotropin regimens: single-dose (T-1, n = 12) and multiple-dose (T-2, n = 12). Ovarian response was monitored by ultrasonography, and LOPU was performed to recover cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), which were subsequently graded. In vitro maturation (IVM) was assessed both morphologically, based on cumulus expansion, and by nuclear maturation using Hoechst-33,342 staining. Hormonal stimulation significantly (p < 0.05) increased the number of aspirated follicles (7.17 ± 0.32 vs. 3.92 ± 0.23), recovered COCs (6.42 ± 0.66 vs. 2.42 ± 0.31), and matured oocytes (5.42 ± 0.31 vs. 1.50 ± 0.19) compared with controls. Recovery and maturation rates were also higher in stimulated animals (89.53% and 84.41%, respectively) than in controls (61.7% and 62.06%). Between regimens, T-2 produced superior results, yielding more recovered COCs (7.58 ± 0.45) and matured oocytes (6.41 ± 0.42) than T-1 (5.83 ± 0.69 and 4.58 ± 0.29, respectively), although nuclear maturation rates did not differ significantly. This study provides the first evidence of successful LOPU in Jakhrana goats and demonstrates that gonadotropin stimulation, particularly through multiple-dose administration, enhances oocyte yield and quality. The findings highlight the potential of LOPU-based IVEP systems for genetic improvement and conservation of Indian goat breeds.