Evaluation of the Insemination doses Additives Using CASA Technology - Maca Peruana

The artificial insemination (AI) represents the most effective biotechnological method used in horse breeding. Therefore, the optimization of already established protocols and their novelization are an important research topic globally with the one goal - to preserve and improve the quality of insemination doses and thus improve the fertility rate. The purpose of the study was to investigate the activity of Maca peruana and determine changes in physiological functions of stallion spermatozoa by adding a solution of Maca dissolved in DMSO and diluted with saline to concentrations 0, 2, 4 and 8% (CON, A, B, C, respectively). The samples were incubated at 37°C throughout the experiment and the measurements were performed in time intervals 0, 60 and 120 minutes. The quality of samples was evaluated by CASA and mitochondrial toxicity test. Motility and progressive motility of spermatozoa of stallions showed stimulative tendency in Maca treated samples especially in experimental group A that exhibited the highest percentages in all measured intervals. The mitochondrial toxicity test showed changes in Maca treated samples, whose survival was several percent higher than the control sample. In conclusion, the beneficial effect of Maca on spermatozoa has been partially confirmed but mainly when spermatozoa were treated with very low concentrations of additive. The study brings an attention to not widely used plant substance (Maca peruana) and offers numerous opportunities for further research concerned with male reproduction and AI in particular.