Research Article

Age changes of fructose and citric acid levels as well as hyaluronidase activity in the epididymal secretion and vesicular glands of the Podolsky plant type bulls of the Ukrainian black-dappled dairy breed

Nikolay Pavlyuk, Stakh Vovk

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 12(3), 2013, 61‒68

Abstract. This study presents data on the age changes of hyaluronidase activity in epididymal secretion as well as the presence of fructose and citric acid in vesicular glands (glandulae vesiculares) secretion. The results of age changes in the amount of epididymal secretion and its spermatozoa concentration in the Podolsky plant type bulls of the Ukrainian black-dappled dairy breed are also given. The research was conducted on 54 individuals, aged 1--13 months. It was found that fructose and citric acid in vesicular glands secretion as well as hyaluronidase activity and mature spermatozoa in epididymal secretion emerge for the first time in 5-month-old bulls. The highest concentrations of fructose (742 ±63 mg/per cent) and citric acid (914 ±81 mg/per cent) in vesicular glands secretion and the highest hyaluronidase activity (1.6 thousand units) in epididymal secretion were found in 12-month-old bulls. A strong positive correlation between hyaluronidase activity and spermatozoa concentration in epididymal secretion was also observed.

Keywords: bulls, citric acid, epididymis, fructose, hyaluronidase activity, vesicular glands