title: Effects of β-mercaptoethanol on in vitro maturation and glutathione level of buffalo oocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of supplementation of β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) on in vitro maturation rate and glutathione (GSH) level of buffalo oocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oocytes were recovered from buffalo's ovaries collected from government approved slaughter house (near Kamela darwaza, Surat) of Surat Municipal Corporation. The obtained oocytes were in vitro matured in maturation media supplemented with 0 μM (117 oocytes), 100 μM (46 oocytes) and 200 μM (42 oocytes) concentration of β-ME. After 24 h of incubation, maturation rate of oocytes and intra-cellular GSH level were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the presence of β-ME did not influence (p>0.05) the oocyte maturation rate. However, GSH level increased significantly (p<0.05) in matured oocytes when supplemented with 100 μM and 200 μM β-ME (6.19±0.10 and 6.37±0.20 pmol/oocyte) as compared to control media (4.68±0.26 pmol/oocyte).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that β-ME may have a potential to increase the meiotic maturation of in vitro cultured oocytes and protect it from oxidative damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Pankaj A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Sandhya S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Gopal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Virendra Kumar
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology & Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396450, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Arjun B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Odedara
keywords: buffalo oocytes; glutathione; in vitro maturation; β-mercaptoethanol