Viability of bull semen extended with commercial semen extender and two culture media stored at 24 °C

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of bull spermatozoa diluted with commercial semen extender and two culture media stored at controlled room temperature (24 °C) for 72 hours. Two Nguni bulls were used for semen collection with the aid of an electro-ejaculator. After macroscopic evaluation, semen was pooled and aliquoted randomly into Triladyl, modified Ham’s F10, and TCM-199 culture media, and then stored at 24 °C. Sperm motility parameters, morphology, and viability were analysed with computer aided sperm analysis (CASA) after 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The study was replicated four times, and data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Triladyl had significantly higher sperm viability rate (41.3%) and total motility rate (96.3%) for 72 hours than modified Ham’s F10 (86.8%; 26.5%) and TCM-199 (76.7%; 25.0%) culture media. Ham’s F10 had higher progressive motility rate (37.8%) than the other extenders TCM-199 (31.7%) and Triladyl (23.4%). There was no significant difference in viability rate between Ham’s F10 (26.5%) and TCM-199 (25.0 %) after 72 hours’ storage at 24 °C. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in total sperm abnormalities, except for reacted acrosomes and absent tails, between the two Nguni bulls. Nguni semen can be preserved in Triladyl or modified Ham’s F10 and TCM-199 culture media, stored at 24 °C, and stay viable for 72 hours.

Keywords: Ham’s F10, TCM-199, Triladyl, sperm motility, viability