Evaluation of the effect of post thaw caffeine treatment on immature ovine semen
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/vqawfa06Keywords:
CASA, Mitotracker Green, kinematics, mitochondrial activity, progressive motilityAbstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of caffeine (0 µM, 0.125 µM, 2 µM, and 8 µM) on post-freezing semen quality in Dorper sheep, considering different types of semen collection (first mount, third mount, intervals longer than 48 hours, and intervals shorter than 48 hours), in order to determine the influence of this molecule on semen parameters at different collection times and to establish its possible biological effect on sperm function in reproductively active animals. Caffeine is an energy modulator that acts instantly on cells; therefore, it was hypothesized that it could reactivate motility and mitochondrial activity assessed through progression and kinematics in the CASA system as well as membrane permeability and vitality, using the Host test and Eosin-Nigrosin test, respectively, in addition to evaluating mitochondrial activity using Mitotracker Green. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between treatment groups for most of the variables analyzed (p > 0.05); however, in terms of sperm progressive motility, superior performance was observed in the third repeated collection with the 2 µM caffeine dose, demonstrating a differential effect under conditions of greater physiological sperm exhaustion. It is concluded that caffeine neither improved nor impaired post-freezing semen quality; however, under certain conditions associated with sperm exhaustion—such as consecutive collection the molecule promotes progressive motility in semen, demonstrating a physiological effect of the molecule on immature ovine semen.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jeandry Alexander Aguilar Tacuri, Manuel Maldonado Cornejo, Juan Carlos Alvarado Alvarado, Andres Leonardo Moscoso Piedra (Autor/a)
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