In this study, the effect of serum paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity on superovulation response and embryo yield was evaluated. The study material comprised 50
Holstein cows aged 3–4 years on postpartum day 90–120 with a body condition score of 3–3.25. A progesterone-based estrus synchronization protocol was initially
administered to the selected donors. For this purpose, progesterone source was inserted intravaginally (day 0) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection was
performed (day 6). Seven days after the insertion of progesterone device, follicle-stimulating hormone injections (total dose of 500 µg in decreasing doses for
4 days) were administered for superovulation. On the morning of the ninth day, prostaglandin (PG) F2α was administered, and the progesterone device was removed
from the vagina in the evening on the same day. Two days after PGF2α administration, fixed-time artificial insemination was performed in the morning and in the
evening. On the day of artificial insemination, blood samples were taken from the donors to determine the serum PON-1 activity. Uterine flushing was performed
seven days after insemination. The results revealed that the serum PON-1 activity (mean ± SD, 562.71 ± 140.23 U/l) of the cows that responded to superovulation
(donors with total corpus luteum count of ≥3 in both ovaries) was higher than those (389.91 ± 80.51 U/l) that did not (
P
<0.05). On the day
of insemination, a positive correlation was determined between serum PON-1 activity and the counts of total corpus luteum (r=0.398), total oocyte/embryo
(r=0.468), transferable embryo (r=0.453), and Code I embryos (r=0.315,
P
<0.05). Unlike the Code I embryos, there was no significant
correlation between serum PON-1 activity and the number of Code III embryos. Moreover, no significant difference in the number of Code III embryos between the
two PON-1 groups was observed. However, embryo yield and quality were found to have increased with increased PON-1 activity. Therefore, it was concluded that
serum PON-1 activity may be associated with superovulation response, embryo yield and quality in donor cows.