Abstract
In Japanese Black (JB) cattle, the number of transferable embryos produced after superovulation is crucial for the economic success of embryo production for both farmers and veterinarians. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has emerged as a key reproductive marker for predicting the number of embryos produced in vivo and oocytes retrieved through transvaginal pickup. This study investigated the relationship between AMH, inflammatory markers, including serum amyloid A (SAA) and albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio, and the number of embryos recovered and transferable after superovulation in JB cows. A total of 96 JB donor cows underwent artificial insemination after superovulation, and embryo recovery was performed 7 days later. Embryos recovered were classified based on the International Embryo Technology Society criteria, wherein "transferable embryos" included those with codes 1 or 2, while "total embryos" included transferable embryos as well as those with codes 3 and 4. Blood samples collected during embryo recovery were used to measure serum AMH, SAA, and A/G ratios. When grouped by AMH quartiles, the high-AMH and middle-high-AMH groups produced significantly more total embryos compared to the low-AMH group. The total number of embryos increased with higher AMH levels (r = 0.3336, P = 0.0009). Correlation analysis revealed associations between AMH, α(1)-globulin and SAA. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between total and transferable embryos (r = 0.6339, P < 0.0001) and between AMH and the yield ratio (r = 0.25583, P = 0.0119). These findings confirm that AMH concentration is a valuable reproductive marker for predicting the total and transferable embryos produced by JB donor cows.