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Testing Usability of Butylated Hydroxytoluene in Conservation of Goat Semen
Author(s) -
Khalifa TAA,
Lymberopoulos AG,
ElSaidy BE
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
reproduction in domestic animals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.546
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1439-0531
pISSN - 0936-6768
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2007.00947.x
Subject(s) - butylated hydroxytoluene , yolk , semen , insemination , biology , zoology , artificial insemination , andrology , food science , chemistry , sperm , antioxidant , biochemistry , botany , medicine , anatomy , pregnancy , genetics
Contents The objective of this study was to investigate whether butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) could be used as a suitable supporter or alternative of egg yolk during preservation of goat spermatozoa. Three in vitro experiments and a fertility test were conducted to evaluate the effect of BHT on viability of chilled‐stored semen as well as motility and kidding rate of frozen‐thawed spermatozoa. In the first two experiments, ejaculates (n = 30/experiment) were collected from 10 bucks, split, diluted with egg yolk‐based and egg yolk‐free extenders supplemented with or without 0.3, 0.6, 2, 5 and 8 m m BHT and stored at 5°C for 168 h. In the third experiment, 30 ejaculates were collected from the above‐mentioned bucks, split and diluted with egg yolk‐free extenders supplemented with or without 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 m m BHT and egg yolk‐based extenders supplemented with or without 5 m m BHT. Diluted semen was cooled to 5°C over a period of 4 h, frozen and thawed in the form of 0.3‐ml pellets. In the fertility test, 75 ejaculates were collected from two proven fertile bucks, split, diluted with egg yolk‐free extenders containing 0.6 m m BHT and egg yolk‐based extenders supplemented with or without 5 m m BHT, frozen and thawed as described above. An insemination volume of 0.6 ml containing 120–140 × 10 6 progressively motile spermatozoa was used for a single cervical insemination of cloprostenol‐synchronized does (n = 230). The results showed that addition of 5 m m BHT to egg yolk‐deficient (2.5%) extenders significantly improved viability of chilled‐stored semen together with motility (48.5%) and fertility (62.5%) of frozen‐thawed spermatozoa. Replacement of egg yolk in semen extenders by 0.6 m m BHT could sustain not only viability of chilled‐stored semen but also post‐thaw motility (47.5%) and fertility (53.75%) of frozen‐thawed spermatozoa. In conclusion, supplementation of semen diluents with BHT can ameliorate preservability of goat sperm.