Ultrasonographic evaluation of follicular development in Marathwadi buffaloes

Abstract

The present research work was conducted on 18 Marathwadi buffaloes, including 9 heifers and 9 pluriparous buffaloes with the aim to assess folliculogenesis and luteolysis pattern through real time B-mode transrectal ultrasonography at 24 hours interval from ovulation (day 0) to the next ovulation. The measurements under study focused on the Dominant Follicle (DF), Sub-ordinary Follicle (SF), Corpus luteum (CL), and growth rate (cm/day). Most of the buffaloes exhibited two-wave patterns 14(77.77%), while 4(33.33%) showed three-wave patterns. The results showed significant (p<0.05) differences in estrus length between two-wave (20.57 ±0.64 days) and three-wave patterns (23.25±0.5 days). Heifers had smaller dominant follicle diameters (size) than pluriparous buffaloes (size), but the difference was non-significant.

In two wave estrus cycle, first wave emerges on Day 1.16 ± 0.04 and Day 1.5 ± 0.534 heifer and pleuriparous, respectively. The first wave in three waves cycle follows the same emergence pattern as in two wave cycle. In two wave cycle, the second wave appeared earlier in heifers (9 ± 0.63 days) as compared to pluriparous buffaloes (10.37 ± 0.51 days) but in three wave cycle second wave appear on day 10 of estrus cycle in both heifers and pleuriparous buffaloes.  The third wave appears quite earlier on day 16 in pluriparous buffaloes and day 16.33 ± 0.57 in heifers. The corpus luteum diameter was larger in pluriparous buffaloes than heifers with non-significant difference (p > 0.05). Sub-ordinary follicles were seen in both the groups with the first wave emerging on day 1.16 ± 0.04 in heifers and day 1.5 ± 0.53 in pluriparous buffaloes. It is concluded that two-wave pattern is more common in Marathwadi heifers and pluriparous buffaloes as compared to three-wave pattern.