Angelina Novita Tethool’s dissertation: Semen Quality of Bali Cattle After Freezing for Artificial Insemination

In the process of artificial insemination using frozen sperm (semen) can help increase reproductive success in livestock, such as cattle, goats and sheep. Frozen cement is cement that has been managed and stored at very low temperatures so that it can last a long time without losing quality. 

However, the use of frozen semen can cause spermatozoa to die as much as 30% during freezing, while those that survive have low fertility. This is because the process of freezing spermatozoa has a damaging effect on the acrosome and tail. The drop in temperature during freezing causes an osmotic imbalance and the formation of ice crystals, which make the cell membranes brittle and easily damaged.

This statement was made by a Lecturer at the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, University of Papua (Fapet Unipa), Angelina Novita Tethool, S.Pt., M.Sc. through a study entitled “Structure Damage, Spermatozoa Function and Semen Quality in Bali Cattle After Freezing Process”. He conducted an analysis of changes in semen quality and damage to the structure and function of spermatozoa after the freezing process in Bali cattle semen. According to him, efforts to develop Bali cattle need to be increased, because this local cattle has very good potential and various advantages.

The research was carried out in two stages, the first stage was to observe semen quality, membrane damage, the process of diluting and freezing semen which was held at the Singosari Center for Artificial Insemination (BBIB) laboratory. Furthermore, the second stage is to observe changes in the function of spermatozoa through capacitation and acrosome reactions in the Reproduction Laboratory of the Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Brawijaya (Fapet UB).

Based on the research, it was concluded that the quality of semen which consisted of motility, viability, intact acrosome caps decreased, while abnormalities and chromatin damage experienced an increase after the freezing process. However, a cooling time of four hours gave better results after freezing, as well as higher membrane integrity and spermatozoa that experienced freezing as well as having an uneven and ruptured membrane surface.

The research by the lecturer in livestock reproductive physiology is a research dissertation to get a Doctoral degree (Dr.) after studying the Postgraduate Program for the Doctoral Program in Animal Science at Faculty of Animal Science UB. An open dissertation examination was held in the main meeting room on the 6th floor of Gd.V, Thursday (29/12/2022). The advisory commission consists of Prof. Trinil Susilawati, Prof. Gatot Ciptadi, and Prof. Sri Wahjuningsih. While the examiner lecturers included Prof. Muhammad Nur Ihsan (Fapet UB), Prof. Nurul Isnaini (Fapet UB), Dr. Kuswati (Fapet UB), and Prof. Herry Agoes Permadi (Airlangga University). (dta)