Vol. 11, Special Issue 11 (2022)

The present study was intended to study the cryopreservation of Kankrej bull semen in tris egg yolk fructose dilutor with different concentrations (G I; 0 μM, G II; 25 μM, G III: 50 μM and G IV; 75 μM) of curcumin (CUR) and its effect on cervical mucus sperm penetration of spermatozoa and sperm morphometry using 9 ejaculates artificially collected from 3 mature Kankrej bull. The sperm mucus penetration distance (SMPD) was found to be 14.67±0.78 mm in fresh semen. However, the overall mean penetration distance of cryopreserved bull spermatozoa was found to be 19.11±0.75 mm in G I, 26.11±0.68 mm in G II, 21.89±0.54 mm in G III and 13.78±0.78 mm in G IV Curcumin group, respectively at post-thaw stages of cryopreserved Kankrej bull semen. The SMPD was significantly (p<0.01) higher in 25 μM CUR as compared to other concentrations. The overall mean head length (HL), head width (HW) and midpiece (ML) length of spermatozoa in fresh semen was found to be 8.77±0.07, 4.49±0.05 and 13.92±0.08 μm, respectively. The overall mean HL, HW and ML using different concentrations of curcumin at post-thawed stage were 8.49±0.06, 4.41±0.05 and 13.74±0.1 in G I; 8.53±0.06, 4.48±0.04 and 13.69±0.08 μm in G II; 8.51±0.05, 4.54±0.08 and 13.88±0.06 μm in G III; 8.65±0.06, 4.49±0.04 and 13.87±0.08 μm in G IV group, respectively. The cryopreservation of semen decreased the head length, but the head width and the mid piece remains unaffected.