title: Duck egg yolk in extender improves the freezability of buffalo bull spermatozoa.
abstract: We investigated the use of duck egg yolk (DEY), Guinea fowl egg yolk (GFEY) and Indian indigenous hen (Desi) egg yolk (IDEY) in extender for improving the post-thaw quality of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) bull spermatozoa, and compared it with commercial hen egg yolk (CHEY; control). For this purpose, two consecutive ejaculates of semen from each of two Nili-Ravi buffalo bulls were collected on 1 day each week for 5 weeks (replicates; n=5) with artificial vagina (42 degrees C). Split pooled ejaculates, were diluted in tris-citric acid glycerol extender containing either DEY or GFEY or IDEY or CHEY at 37 degrees C. Extended semen was cooled to 4 degrees C in 2 h and equilibrated for 4 h at 4 degrees C. Cooled semen was then filled in 0.5 ml straws at 4 degrees C and frozen in programmable cell freezer. Thawing of semen was performed at 37 degrees C for 30 s. Sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity and sperm morphology (acrosome integrity, head, mid-piece and tail abnormalities) of each semen sample were assessed at 0, 3 and 6 h after thawing and incubation at 37 degrees C. Visual motility (%) and percentage of intact plasma membranes assessed at 6h post-thaw of buffalo bull spermatozoa were highest (P<0.05) due to DEY as compared to GFEY, IDEY and control. The percentage of spermatozoa with normal acrosomes at 0, 3 and 6 h post-thaw was highest (P<0.05) in DEY extender than GFEY, IDEY and CHEY. Sperm tail abnormalities (%) observed at 0, 3 and 6 h post-thaw in samples cryopreserved with freezing extender having DEY were lower (P<0.05) as compared to extender containing GFEY, IDEY and CHEY. In conclusion, DEY compared to other avian yolks in extender improves the frozen-thawed quality of buffalo bull spermatozoa.
authors: Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad 45500, Pakistan. andrabi123@yahoo.com
authors: S M H
authors: SM
authors: Andrabi
authors: M S
authors: MS
authors: Ansari
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Ullah
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Anwar
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mehmood
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Akhter
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004372:Ducks; D004530:Egg Yolk; D008297:Male; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000502:physiology; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa