doi:10.5455/vetworld.2013.405-408 Physical and morphological characteristics of Kankrej bull semen

Aim: Present investigation was carried out to study the physical characteristics of Kankrej bulls semen by evaluation of various semen parameters from neat semen and at various stages of semen preservation. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 ejaculates, 10 each from 6 mature Kankrej bulls, once in a week for 10 weeks, were collected and analyzed for various semen attributes. Result: The mean values for different seminal attributes were: ejaculate volume 4.84 + 0.01 ml, pH 6.88 + 0.01, mass motility 3.72 + 0.02, sperm concentration 1253.83 + 14.68 million / ml, individual motility 86.15 + 0.30 per cent, live sperm count 90.58 + 0.20 per cent, abnormal sperm count 4.24 + 0.03 per cent and acrosomal integrity 81.17 + 0.11 per cent. The colour of the Kankrej bull semen under the investigation was creamy white. Mean values of ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, live sperm count and acrosomal integrity of semen differed significantly (P < 0.05) among the bulls under investigation. The ejaculate volume was positively correlated with mass motility (+ 0.392) and sperm concentration (+ 0.385) and inversely proportional to the mass motility whereas mass motility positively correlated with volume (+0.392), individual sperm motility (+0.329) and live sperm count (+0.527). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the volume, pH, mass motility and sperm concentration of Kankrej bull semen were well comparable with other breeds of Indian cattle, however higher individual motility, live sperm count, acrosomal integrity and lower abnormal sperm count were recorded in the Kankrej bull semen.


Introduction
correlation matrix between various spermatozoal traits at initial, prefreeze and post thawed stages was found Kankrej cattle is an important dual purpose breed highly significant (P < 0.01) and positive interrelationof India.They have well adopted in North Gujarat and ships for the percentage of motile spermatozoa, live developed as elite from Kankrej breed at Livestock sperm, abnormal sperm and intact acrosome in fresh, Research Station, SDAU, Sardarkrushinagar and post refrigerated and post thawed semen (r = 0.17 to proved to be superior to crossbreds with respect to milk 0.90) and suggested that these traits could be applied production and disease resistance [1].The main for practical utility in routine semen evaluation to purpose of research in the laboratory evaluation of predict keeping quality, freezability and fertility [4].semen, either fresh or frozen thawed, has been Genetically an improvement of Kankrej breed was ultimately to predict its fertility.It is well established taken up through cryopreservation of male germplasm that characteristics of bull semen vary widely, not only had good production performance and fertility index.between the bulls, but also between the ejaculates within bulls and from time to time or season to season

Materials and Methods
[2].Semen volume, concentration of spermatozoa, Climate and Experimental animal: Geographically, proportion of dead and abnormal spermatozoa, and Dama is situated at 24°-10' North latitude and 72°-10' motility of spermatozoa are recognized as important East latitude at an altitude of 154.52 meter above the indices of semen quality and significantly correlated mean sea level.The climate is harsh and the ambient with freezability and/or fertility of bovine semen [3].
summer temperature goes up to 45°C while winter Semen producing ability and quality of individual bull temperature runs down to 3.5°C.The rains are highly are essentials to ensure the supply of superior quality irregular and drought is common.In this study, six germplasm for maintaining the production 1 Kankrej bulls, ranging from 3 to 4 / years of age and 2 performance in future progeny of individual breed in clinically normal, were selected as semen donors from the country.The interrelationship established through Dama semen production Unit (Grade-A Semen Collection Unit), Banas dairy, Palanpur.All the standard procedures for semen collection and their evaluation were followed in strict aseptic condition.Total ten ejaculates were obtained by artificial vagina of six Kankrej bulls semen ranged between 3.50 to 5.90 method from each bull for ten weeks [5].
ml with mean value of 4.84 + 0.01 ml (Table -1).The Semen collection and evaluation: Each ejaculate of ejaculate volume was found to be significantly (P < neat semen was evaluated immediately after collection 0.05) different among the bulls and positively for volume, colour, hydrogen ion concentration (pH), correlated with mass motility (+0.392) and sperm mass motility and sperm concentration.Colour of concentration (+0.385).Ejaculate volume were semen was graded as creamy, milky, watery and corroborated with reports of [10] in HF bulls, [11] in abnormal and pH was recorded with the help of pH Jersey bulls, [12,13] in Gir bulls.However [14] in indicator paper [5].The mass motility of semen was Jersey bulls had recorded higher ejaculate volume as recorded by placing a small drop of neat semen on glass compared to present study whereas [3] in Jersey bulls slide without coverslip under low magnification (10 X) had recorded lower ejaculate volume.and graded from 0 to 5 grades [6].Sperm concentration The colour of the semen was found to be creamy per ml of semen was estimated using bovine white in all the samples which were similar to [15] in photometer (Developed by Hamilton Company, IMV, mixed Sahiwal × Zebu bulls and [3] in Jersey bulls.France).The Individual motility of semen was Varying from creamy colour about 10 per cent of bulls assessed, after covering the semen drop with cover produce yellowish colour of semen which might be due glass, under high magnification (45X).
to lipochrome pigment derived from the epithelium of Live and abnormal sperm counts were assessed ampulla during seminal secretion and considered as by differential staining technique as described by [7] normal colour, harmless to sperm cell and no way and eosin -nigrosin stain was used as per the procedure influences the fertility of the bull.The mean pH value of [7].For staining, proportion of stain and semen was of six Kankrej bulls semen was 6.88 + 0.01 (Table-1) kept as 6 drops: 1 drop respectively.The uniform thin which was comparable with those of [16] in exotic cow smears were prepared immediately on clean grease free bulls.They opined that higher pH of the semen was slides.A total of 200 spermatozoa were counted from neutralized by various vaginal acids, which were stained slides using 100X (oil immersion) objective of secreted from vaginal mucus glands.the microscope (MSP (Give full name) guideline, Mass motility and sperm concentration: Mass motility Govt. of India).
of sperms has been an important attribute for The damage to the acrosome due to deep acceptance or rejection of the ejaculate for further freezing/preservation/ was determined by staining the processing and use in AI, and it has been positively slides with Giemsa stain and the pink stained correlated with keeping quality, freezability and acrosomes were studied for their integrity.A total of fertility of that sample [4].In present study mass 300 spermatozoa with an intact acrosome were counted motility of six Kankrej bulls semen was significantly and calculated according to [8].
(P<0.05) and positively correlated with volume (+0.392), individual sperm motility (+0.329) and live Statistical analysis: The means and standard errors of sperm count (+0.527).Mass motility of semen was all the traits were calculated using 60 observation (10 observed between +3 to +5 with mean value of 3.72 + ejaculates × 6 bulls) using completely randomized 0.02 ( sperms which had intact acrosome in present study was + 0.30 per cent (Table -1).Individual motility of similar to those reported by [23] in Gir bulls and [14] in spermatozoa in present study was at par with reports of Jersey crossbred bulls.However, contrary to the [10,19] in HF bulls, [11] in Sahiwal and Jersey bulls.
present findings some workers reported lower intact The wide variation in the ejaculate volume, mass acrosome sperm count in HF bulls while others[13] in motility, sperm concentration and individual motility elite ethiopian indigenous breed bulls and [17] in has been attributed to various factors like age of bull, Sahiwal bulls, recorded higher acrosomal integrity of season, frequency of collection [6], degree of sexual sperms as compared to present study.excitement, method of semen collection, etc. [20].

Vital count of spermatozoa during different stages of
The percentage of live sperm was significantly (P freezing process: Individual motility, live sperm count < 0.05) differed among bulls and positively correlated and acrosomal integrity were significantly (P<0.01) with individual sperm motility (+0.702).Live sperm in decreased and abnormal sperm count was significantly Kankrej bull semen ranged between 81 to 94 per cent.
semen preservation (Table -2).In accordance to present Abnormality and Acrosomal integrity of spermatozoa: investigation [19] in Jersey bulls and crossbred bulls Abnormal spermatozoa affect the fertility of male.The [11] in Sahiwal bulls and [23] in Gir bulls; reported that admissible limit of abnormal spermatozoa has been individual sperm motility, live sperm count and less than 10 per cent in normal semen which could be acrosomal integrity were significantly (P<0.01)utilized for fertilization [3].Conventionally semen dropped, whereas percentage of abnormal sperm count with more than 20 per cent abnormal sperm must be was significantly (P<0.01)increased following discarded [16].Abnormal sperm count in Kankrej bull freezing of semen.semen was statistically non significant among bulls.The mean value was 4.24 + 0.11 per cent (Table 1 sperm count, acrosomal integrity and lower abnormal The presence of an acrosomal cap is important in sperm count were recorded in the Kankrej bull semen.the fertilization process and highly related with fertility The individual sperm motility, live sperm count and of frozen semen.Intact apical ridge of acrosome is acrosomal integrity were significantly decreased necessary for fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa and where as abnormal sperm count was significantly for functional efficiency of the acrosome.However, some spermatozoa could be highly motile but not increased at freezing process progressed.fertile, owing to the acrosomal damage [2].Mean Authors' contribution acrosomal integrity of six Kankrej bulls semen differed BR planned and carried out the research work and significantly (P<0.05)among the bulls under analyzed the data.BR and GM drafted and revised the investigation.The mean value of sperms with intact manuscript.Both author read and approved the final acrosome in Kankrej bulls was recorded as 81.17 + manuscript.0.11 per cent (Table -1), which ranged between 79 to 88.

Table -
Physical and morphological characteristics of neat Kankrej bulls semen (Mean + SE) Results and Discussionthe ejaculate volume of semen.The mean values of Ejaculate volume, colour and pH of semen: The volume sperm concentration recorded in present study were in Table-1. ),