Effect of different housing conditions on several indices of blood redox status and on reproductive performance in buffalo cows

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of two different housing conditions on blood and follicular redox status and on reproductive performance of buffalo cows. Fifty buffalo cows were housed at a density of 13.3 m(2)/head, and fifty were housed at 27.0 m(2)/head. Forty buffaloes for each group were inseminated, and blood samples were collected 45 days after AI. Ten buffaloes, for each group, were not inseminated, and follicular fluids and blood samples were collected at the time of ovulation. Titres of retinol, alpha-tocopherol, ascorbate, N-tyrosine and protein bound carbonyls were measured. No differences were found between the two groups. Redox status of pregnant, not pregnant and cows with embryo mortality was evaluated. We found no significant differences among the groups, thus suggesting that the outcome of fertilization might not depend only on the blood parameters evaluated. Our results demonstrate that the two different housing conditions do not affect plasma and follicular redox status.