The presence of seminal plasma, especially derived from stallion semen, helps preserve chilled Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) sperm motility.

This research explores how seminal plasma, particularly from stallions, contributes to maintaining chilled Asian elephant sperm quality, particularly in terms of motility.

Objective of the Study

• This study aims to determine the effect of seminal plasma (SP) from different species (autologous, homologous, and heterologous) on the viability and motility of chilled Asian elephant sperm.

Methodology

• Semen samples were collected from eight male Asian elephants, with those containing at least 30% motile spermatozoa utilized in the investigation.
• The semen was then diluted with a Tris-glucose-egg yolk extender and combined with different types of SP.
• These mixtures were preserved at 4°C for 48 hours for the purposes of the experiment.

Results

• In the first experiment (with 31 instances), the presence of autologous SP (i.e., derived from the same individual elephant) helps preserve both sperm motility and acrosome integrity, which are key measures of sperm health and quality.
• Homologous SP (from the same species, but a different individual) did not demonstrate a more positive effect than autologous SP.
• Heterologous SP from a stallion, on the other hand, resulted in superior sperm motility and velocities as compared to the autologous SP.

Further Evaluation

• To further validate the findings, a second experiment was conducted (with 14 instances) which evaluated the effect of SP from four different stallions.
• The study found that all SP samples from the stallions resulted in higher motile spermatozoa and sperm velocities than the autologous SP.

Conclusion

• All in all, the study concludes that SP plays an essential role in the preservation of chilled Asian elephant sperm quality.
• Specifically, stallion-derived SP significantly supports the motility of Asian elephant sperm during cold storage conditions.