Characteristics of Pasundan Cattle Sperm Activated by Toll-Like Receptor 7/8 (TLR 7/8) for Sexing Purposes

Determining the sex of sperm is vital for boosting the efficiency of livestock production. Conventional methods, however, often struggle with issues like reduced motility in sexed sperm. This study set out to examine the characteristics of sexed sperm in cattle by activating Toll-Like Receptor 7/8 (TLR 7/8) with resiquimod 848 (R848). Conducted over a period of seven months at the Regional Technical Implementation Unit of the Artificial Insemination Breeding and Development Center (UPTD-BPPIB) for Beef Cattle in Ciamis. Three productive-age Pasundan bulls were used in this study. The study involved incubating sperm with different concentrations of R848 (0, 0.03, 0.3, and 0.6 µM) for 30 and 45 minutes. The study evaluated parameters such as progressive motility, viability, and the integrity of the sperm plasma membrane, both before and after thawing. The results indicated that the quality of fresh semen varied among individuals, and the quality of semen after incubation also differed individually. Overall, the data demonstrated that a concentration of 0.03 µM R848 for 30 minutes resulted in semen quality after freezing that was nearly identical to the control. In contrast, the highest concentration (0.6 µM) significantly decreased all semen quality parameters. The activation of TLR 7/8 with 0.03 µM R848 for 30 minutes is suitable for sperm sexing in Pasundan cattle.