Metabolomic profiling of goat seminal plasma: insights into sperm motility regulation

Low sperm motility is a major limitation to the success of artificial insemination in goats, yet the metabolic basis underlying this trait remains poorly understood. Seminal plasma (SP) contains a diverse array of metabolites that support sperm function by providing energy substrates, antioxidants, and signaling molecules. This study investigated the metabolomic profile of goat seminal plasma associated with sperm motility, aiming to explore the metabolic mechanisms underlying variations in sperm motility and identify potential biomarkers associated with goat reproductive performance. Using the high-resolution liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), a total of 7,374 metabolites were detected across all samples. All xenobiotic compounds detected in preliminary analyses were excluded following MS/MS confirmation. Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed several significantly different individual metabolites (false discovery rate < 0.05) between high-motility (≥ 75%) and low-motility (≤ 65%) groups. However, no metabolic pathways remained significant after false discovery rate (FDR) correction, indicating an exploratory level of evidence limited to single metabolite associations. Key discriminant metabolites included amino acids, carnitine derivatives, and antioxidants such as riboflavin and phosphocreatine, which were more abundant in the high-motility group. These findings suggest possible roles of energy metabolism, oxidative protection, and membrane stability in regulation of goat sperm motility.This work presents the most comprehensive dataset to date for goat seminal plasma, generated under controlled conditions with rigorous quality assurance. The results provide preliminary insight into the metabolite–motility relationships and offer a foundation for future targeted validation using multiple reaction monitoring and functional fertility assays.