Follicle Stimulating Hormone in Cattle Breeding: Fundamentals, Innovations, and Scope

ABSTRACT Follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) plays a crucial role in folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation in animals. It has been administered exogenously for superovulation in cattle breeding. Primarily, conventional ovarian stimulation protocols rely on pituitary‐derived FSH (pFSH) to boost embryo yield per cycle. The short half‐life of pFSH demands multiple injections (around eight) to maintain the optimum threshold levels. Such frequent handling is laborious and stressful to precious donor animals. In contrast, recombinant FSH (rFSH) variants offer a compelling alternative to overcome pFSH‐related challenges. Such variants have prolonged bioavailability, high purity, and minimal injection frequency. Therefore, long‐acting rFSH (LA‐rFSH) variants are gaining popularity in large‐scale farm applications. So far, LA‐rFSH variants have been reported to achieve ovarian stimulation outcomes comparable to or superior to those of conventional protocols. Although human rFSH was initially developed for human therapy, its application in cattle has demonstrated its efficacy and cost‐effectiveness. However, existing challenges regarding immunogenicity and commercialization remain. In addition, ongoing advances in rFSH production promise to significantly enhance ovarian stimulation protocols. The growing demand is driving many enterprises to enter the market with improved products. There is a need to strategically adopt LA‐rFSH in cattle breeding to expedite genetic progress through improved embryo production. Propagation of high‐yielding, climate‐resilient, and disease‐resistant genetics may improve herd productivity, thus contributing to sustainable farming, food security, and One Health objectives.