Luteal Dysfunction: A Potential Cause of Repeat Breeding and the Strategies to Combat it

Luteal dysfunction, also called as luteal insufficiency or luteal inadequacy is a major endocrine etiology of repeat breeding syndrome in the cattle and buffalo leading to early embryonic mortality and decreased reproductive efficiency of the dairy herd. The luteal inadequacy as an independent component of repeat breeding acts as a sequela to either inadequate progesterone or the premature luteal regression that clinically manifest as delayed ovulation with an extended follicular phase, longer interval between luteolysis and ovulation, delayed postovulatory rise in progesterone concentration and presence of suprabasal progesterone concentration during follicular phase allowing follicular and oocyte ageing due to postponemet of LH surge. Luteal inadequacy can be addressed either at post breeding window of day 0-12 with different hormonal combinations including GnRH, hCG, progesterone or by non hormonal antiluteolytic strategies like ω-3 and ω-6 polyunstaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation in the diet.