Humanin Peptide Significantly Boosts Bull Semen Quality and Fertility

Infertility in livestock, particularly bulls, poses a substantial challenge to global animal breeding programs and agricultural productivity. A primary contributor to this issue is oxidative stress, which severely damages sperm during collection, dilution, and cryopreservation (freezing), leading to reduced viability and fertility. This study addresses the critical need for novel strategies to protect sperm from oxidative damage and enhance semen quality, freezability, and in-vitro fertility.

The study demonstrated that Humanin treatment significantly improved crucial semen quality parameters. Sperm motility, viability, and membrane integrity were all markedly enhanced compared to untreated controls. Furthermore, Humanin substantially reduced the detrimental effects of cryopreservation, leading to improved semen freezability. This protective effect was linked to a significant boost in the semen's antioxidant status, evidenced by increased activity of key antioxidant enzymes and a substantial reduction in lipid peroxidation, a marker of oxidative damage. > The most impactful finding was Humanin's ability to significantly enhance in-vitro fertility, resulting in higher cleavage and blastocyst rates compared to untreated controls.