Effects of OmniGen-AF® on superovulation response and embryo quality in donor beef cows

Abstract Text:

Superovulation is a required yet costly and biologically stressful procedure in cattle embryo transfer. High variation in the number of ova recovered, fertilization rates and embryo quality result in inconsistent results and prevent full optimization of the procedure for genetic improvement. Inflammation and immune system dysregulation have been suggested to be one cause of this variability. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate OmniGen-AF® (OG) supplementation on superovulatory response, embryo quality and serum cortisol in beef cattle embryo donors using two doses of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Twenty-four cross-bred beef cows were split into four groups and superovulated with 200 or 400 mg FSH and fed OG at 0 or 56 g/hd/day. The feeding period was 49 days. The superovulation protocol was started on Day 28 of feeding and ova were nonsurgically recovered 7 days after estrus and artificial insemination. Good to excellent quality morulae and blastocysts were either fixed for staining or cultured to evaluate in vitro embryo development and plasminogen activator (PA) production. In cows superovulated with 400 mg FSH, feeding OG decreased the percent degenerate embryos recovered (p = 0.08).  Embryos recovered from cows superovulated with 400 mg FSH and fed OG produced more total PA, with a trend for peak PA production to be higher at 72 h of culture (p = 0.08), compared to all other groups. In addition, serum cortisol concentration was significantly lower (p = 0.049) in donor cows fed OG at the last breeding of the superovulation protocol compared to controls. In summary, feeding OmniGen-AF may ameliorate negative effects of the higher FSH dose used in superovulation protocols resulting in more transferable and fewer degenerate embryos. Also based on PA production, there is a potential for healthier embryos, with a greater likelihood of developing beyond hatching in an embryo transfer procedure. 

Keywords: OmniGen-AF®, embryo, superovulation