Supplementation of Catalase Enzyme in Extender Provides Antioxidative Protection to the Quality and Mitochondrial Activity of Frozen-Thawed Japanese Quail Spermatozoa

Aim: Japanese quail offers massive potential as a source of animal protein and could fulfil the global surge in the demand for poultry meat. Sperm cryopreservation and assisted reproduction are pivotal in its propagation, as they simultaneously address various challenges like inbreeding, unreceptiveness towards new mates and unmanaged larger flocks. However, freezing procedures promote oxidative stress, disturb the redox homeostasis, and deteriorate sperm quality. Therefore, the current experiment was planned to evaluate the addition of catalase (CAT) antioxidant in the extender for Japanese quail sperm quality, mitochondrial activity, free radical scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation (LPO) during cryopreservation. Materials and Methods: Semen was collected from 30 quails, pooled, divided and diluted with NaCl extender (115) containing 10 U CAT/mL, 30 U CAT/mL, 50 U CAT/mL and control. Extended semen (37°C) was gradually cooled to 20°C, then equilibrated at 4°C with 1% dimethylacetamide (DMA) and cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. The sperm quality and biochemical parameters were assessed at the post-dilution, post-cooling, post-equilibration and post-thaw (0-hour and half-hour) stages of cryopreservation. Results: The sperm motility, viability, plasma membrane and acrosomal integrity, mitochondrial activity and free radical scavenging activity were documented as highest ( p < 0.05) with 10 U CAT/mL compared to other concentrations and the control at all the stages of cryopreservation. The LPO in sperm and seminal plasma was recorded lowest ( p < 0.05) with 10 U CAT/mL at all the freezing stages. Moreover, at the post-thaw half-hour stage, only 10 U CAT/mL maintained the sperm quality. Conclusion: The addition of 10 U CAT/mL efficiently preserved and protected the sperm plasma membrane, acrosome, and mitochondrial activity as an antioxidative agent against the free radicals produced at chilling temperatures.