Vol. 9, Special Issue 2, Part D (2025)

Nanoparticles have garnered increasing attention in medicine, biotechnology, and animal reproduction, particularly for applications such as semen preservation and improve sperm motility and viability. As per report, zinc oxide nanoparticles enhance the sperm quality and antioxidant enzyme activity, mitigating oxidative stress. The success of artificial insemination in pigs depends on efficient semen storage, which maintains sperm fertility over time. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles on quality of preserved boar semen. The study was conducted on four Large White Yorkshire (LWY) boars. A total of 40 ejaculates, comprising 10 samples from each boar, were utilized for the study. Each boar ejaculate was mixed with BTS extender @ 1:2 ratio and divided into four aliquots, which were further diluted with Zinc Oxide (ZnO) at concentrations of 0 µg/ml (control), 20 µg/ml (T₁), 40 µg/ml (T₂), and 60 µg/ml (T₃). The samples were preserved in liquid form at 18 °C in a BOD incubator. Evaluations of the preserved semen samples were conducted at 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours. The mean percentage of motile sperm, live sperm, intact acrosome, intact plasma membrane significantly increased (p<0.01) in the treatment groups receiving 20 µg/ml (T₁), 40 µg/ml (T₂), and 60 µg/ml (T₃) of ZnO-NP extract compared to the control (C) across 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours of preservation post-dilution. The mean percentage of lipid peroxidation significantly decreased (p<0.01) in the treatment groups compared to the control (C). The conception rates and litter size among the groups showed a significant increase (p<0.01) compared to the control (C) group. In conclusion, the concentration of 20 µg/ml ZnO-NP extract was found to be better than other concentrations for preserving boar sperm at 18 °C in a BOD incubator.