Evaluación de parámetros asociados a la calidad seminal en llamas (Lama glama) durante los períodos pre- y post-servicio

R. A. Guijarro-Castro; M. V. Martínez-Espeche; C. Casaretto; S. E. Tonda; M. T. Arzeno; A. D. Barrera; M. C. Ábalos; F. A. Acuña

doi:10.30972/vet.3618158

Authors

R. A. Guijarro-Castro Universidad Católica de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias. Cátedra de Obstetricia y Reproducción
M. V. Martínez-Espeche Universidad Católica de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias. Cátedra de Obstetricia y Reproducción
C. Casaretto Laboratorio San Isidro
S. E. Tonda Universidad Católica de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias. Cátedra de Obstetricia y Reproducción
M. T. Arzeno Universidad Católica de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias. Cátedra de Obstetricia y Reproducción
A. D. Barrera Universidad Católica de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias. Cátedra de Genética. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro Científico Tecnológico (CCT) CONICET Salta-Jujuy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5258-1693
M. C. Ábalos Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria (EEA)
F. A. Acuña Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria (EEA)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30972/vet.3618158

Keywords:

llama, seminal analysis, semen quality, artificial vagina

Abstract

South American camelids (SAC) have gained global relevance due to their productive characteristics, such as meat properties and fiber quality. However, many aspects of their reproductive physiology remain unknown. The llama (Lama glama), a domesticated SAC species raised in the northwestern region of Argentina, exhibits unique seminal characteristics, including ability to form thread of variable length and variability in semen parameters, which may be influenced by environmental, nutritional, and health conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate parameters associated with semen quality in llamas within their natural habitat during two periods: before and after the mating season. A total of 32 males were evaluated during the pre-mating period (October), with a 56.25% success rate in accepting the artificial vagina (AV). In the post-mating period (April-May), 41 males were evaluated, achieving a 90.25% AV acceptance rate during semen collection (p<0.001). Additionally, the duration of copulation was significantly longer in the pre-mating period (6.33 ± 1.51 min) compared to the post-mating period (4.43 ± 2.27 min; p=0.002). The volume of the liquid fraction of the ejaculate plus foam was also higher in the pre-mating period (8.10 ± 1.9 mL) than in the post-mating period (4.17 ± 0.38 mL; p<0.001). Regarding sperm motility, a trend toward higher motility was observed in the post-mating period. Membrane functionality was significantly higher in the post-mating period (32.28 ± 3.44%) compared to the pre-mating period (22.23 ± 1.71%; p<0.05). Sperm morphology analysis revealed a higher percentage of normal spermatozoa in the pre-mating period (71.66 ± 10.1%) compared to the post-mating period (48.60 ± 2.65%; p<0.001), with abnormalities such as loose heads and tail defects being more prevalent in the post-mating period. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing reproductive management protocols and improving the productivity of this species.

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