The therapeutic efficacy of methylergometrine and PGF2α on uterine involution and postpartum fertility was studied in 18 (6/group) Gir cows. Animals of groups I and II were treated with single i/m injection of PGF2α and Methylergometrine immediately after parturition, respectively, while group-III served as untreated control. The time required for expulsion of fetal membranes was shorter in group-I (2.55 ± 0.60 hours) than in group II (3.03 ± 0.34 hours) and group III (4.10 ± 0.36 hours) but did not differ statistically. Time taken for completion of uterine involution was significantly (p Less than 0.05) shorter in group I (28.67±1.12 days) than that of group II (35.83 ± 1.49 days) and group-III (41.00±1.46 days). The intervals for first estrus postpartum and service period were also significantly (p Less than 0.01) shorter for group I (37.83 ± 1.10 and 89.50 ± 4.34 days) than in group-II (46.17 ± 1.40 and 108.33 ± 4.91 days) and group-III (50.83 ± 1.11 and 118.33 ± 4.40 days, respectively). The number of services per conception was non-significantly lower in group I (1.17 ± 0.17) as compared to group II (1.50 ± 0.34) and controlled group III (1.67±0.33). The conception rate was 100% in group I and 83.33 % each in group II and III. Thus, it can be concluded that use of PGF2α immediately after parturition in Gir cows enhanced the process of placental separation, hastened the uterine involution, decreased the service period, increased the conception rate and thereby reduce the calving interval to the profitable ambiance as compared to Methylergometrine and control groups.

Caffeine is widely known for its phosphodiesterase enzymes inhibiting, and its powerful reactive oxygen species scavenging property. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of caffeine supplementation @ 0 mM, 1 mM, 3 mM and 5 mM in AndroMed® ex tender on cryopreservation of Jaffarabadi buffalo semen. Twenty-four semen ejaculates (6/bull) with >70% initial sperm motility were obtained from four mature Jaffarabadi bulls using AV. The ejaculates were split-diluted in an egg-yolk-free AndroMed® extender supplemented with different concentrations of caffeine and were cryopreserved using a standard protocol. The semen samples were evaluated for sperm quality parameters as well as oxidative stress parameters, viz., lipid peroxidation, and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzyme activity in seminal plasma at pre-freeze (after equilibration) and post-thaw stage. The levels of caffeine had a significant effect on all these parameters, except sperm abnormalities, at both pre-freeze and post-thaw stages. Supplementation of caffeine in semen extender at 1 mM and 3 mM concentration showed a significant (p<0.05) increase in post-thawed sperm motility (62.04 ± 0.84, 61.25 ± 1.01%), viability (64.21 ± 0.88, 64.25 ± 0.84%), acrosome integrity (58.08 ± 1.08, 57.30 ± 0.93%) and plasma membrane integrity (52.75 ± 0.89, 52.71 ± 0.74%) and a significant (p<0.05) decrease in oxidative damage as evident by lower lipid peroxidation (MDA 7.62 ± 0.41, 7.80 ± 0.70 µM) and GST enzyme activity (31.15 ± 1.36, 29.54 ± 0.54 nmol CDNB/mL/min) as compared to control and 5 mM caffeine. The study concludes that the post-thaw quality of frozen semen of Jaffarabadi buffalo bulls improves significantly with decreased oxidative stress if the AndroMed® extender is supplemented with 1 and 3 mM concentration of caffeine over control.

The relative efficacy of different treatment modalities was evaluated for induction of estrus in 32 post-pubertal true anestrus Jafarabadi buffalo heifers randomly divided into four equal groups. Animals of Group I received intravaginal CIDR and i/m injection of 1.0 mg estradiol valerate on day 0, i/m injection of 500 μg PGF2α on day 7 while removing CIDR, and 0.75 mg estradiol valerate on day 8. Fix timed insemination (FTAI) was performed at 48 and 72 h following PGF2α injection. Animals of Group II received standard Ovsynch protocol with FTAI. In Group III, Prajana HS 3 caps/ day for 3 days along with i/m injection of Vitamin AD3E (5 ml) and Tonophosphan (15 ml) on first day were administered. Group IV animals received no treatment and served as control. Among all inseminated heifers, in non-return cases pregnancy was confirmed per rectum 60 days postbreeding. The estrus induction response in Group I and II animals was 100 %, whereas in Group III and IV it was 37.5 % and 12.5%, respectively. In Group I, one animal conceived at induced estrus and another four at second service while in Group II, five animals conceived at second service giving overall conception rate (CR) of 62.5% in each group within 77 days of treatment. In Group III, three animals conceived by 70 days and in Group IV, only one animal (12.5%) showed estrus and conceived by 50 days of treatment with overall CR of 37.5% and 12.5%, respectively. Mean plasma progesterone concentration was significantly (p less than 0.05) higher on day 7 as compared to day 0, at estrus and on day 20 post-AI in all the animals. It was concluded that both CIDR and Ovsynch protocols are better than herbal heat inducer + supplements in inducing fertile estrus in anestrus buffalo heifers.

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The present study was carried out on 80 ejaculates, 20 each from four healthy Jaffrabadi breeding bulls to see the relationship betweensexual behavior and semen quality parameters. The results depicted that the overall mean values of libido score, mating ability score andsexual libido score between bulls. The overall color of semen ranged from thin white to very thick creamy. The overall values for semen volume(ml), pH, sperm concentration (million/mL), mass activity, individual sperm motility (%) and live spermatozoa (%) were 2.99 ± 0.12, 6.80 ± 0.01, 1439.68 ± 48.46, 3.94 ± 0.03, 89.51 ± 0.21 and 95.00 ± 0.19, respectively. The values for semen volume, sperm concentration,mass activity (%) and live sperm (%) differed significantly (p less than 0.05) between bulls. There were significant positive correlations (p LESS THAN 0.01)of libido with mating ability, sexual behavior score and ejaculate volume of semen (r = 0.37 to 0.87), while a negative correlation wasfound with sperm concentration (-0.30). Mating ability was significantly (p less than 0.01) correlated with sexual behavior score and ejaculatevolume (0.78, 0.67), and sexual behavior was correlated with semen volume (0.84). Sperm concentration was significantly (p less than 0.05 correlated with mass activity (0.29), while individual sperm motility was positively (p less than 0.05) correlated with live sperm percentage (0.25).Correlations of libido, reflected the importance of sexual behavior of Jaffrabadi bulls in predicting their future utility as a proficient breeder under AI program.