Korean Journal of Agricultural Science ISSN:2466-2402(Print) 2466-2410(Online) 농업과학연구

The misuse of pesticides has resulted in environmental pollution, which directly or indirectlyaffects all life on earth. Chlorpyrifos is a chlorinated organophosphorus pesticide thatis commonly used in agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects ofchlorpyrifos on the fertilization function of boar spermatozoa. Sperm samples from boarswere subjected to varying concentrations of chlorpyrifos from 10 to 200 μM for two incubationperiods, 30 min or 2 hrs. The boar spermatozoa were then evaluated for motility, motionkinematics, viability, acrosome integrity, chromatin stability, and generation of intracellularreactive oxygen species (ROS). There was a significant percentage reduction in sperm motilityand motion kinematic parameters after both incubation periods (p < 0.05). The proportionof viable spermatozoa decreased after incubation for 30 min and 2 hrs in a dose-dependentmanner (p < 0.05). A significantly lower percentage of normal acrosomes was observed inspermatozoa exposed to 200 μM chlorpyrifos over both incubation periods, compared tothe controls. The damage to sperm DNA was significantly higher when the exposure time tochlorpyrifos was longer. There was a significant increase in the ROS levels in spermatozoaincubated with chlorpyrifos for 2 hrs (p < 0.05). From the results of the present study, it isconcluded that direct exposure of boar spermatozoa to chlorpyrifos altered boar spermcharacteristics, suggesting potential toxicity that may affect the male reproductive function.