Abstract
The use of frozen semen in pig industry is limited by problems with viability and fertility compared to cooled semen. Part of the decrease in motility and fertility, associated to cryopreservation, may be due to oxidative damage from excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Frozen thawed boar spermatozoa are still considered suboptimal due to the low conception rates and smaller litters after artificial insemination. The relatively low fertility of frozen thawed boar semen is associated with many factors including cytotoxicity of the cryoprotectant, osmotic stress, injuries due to ice formation during freezing and thawing, cold shock damages and even inter and intra variations present among boars. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the impact of conjugated linoleic acid (trans- 10, cis-12; CLA) supplementation in the cryopreservation extender frozen-thawed boar on semen quality parameters. Semen was collected from three boars (three ejaculates per boar) which were subjected to cryopreservation, without any supplementation (control) or supplemented with 50 µm CLA, and then the semen was frozen using a controlled rate freezer. Before freezing, and after thawing, the sperm motility was assessed, microscopically and viability and acrosome integrity were assessed using the flow cytometry technique. Regarding live spermatozoa, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed among treatments. However, statistical differences (P 0.05) were observed among treatments. In conclusion, the addition of trans-10, cis-12 isomer of conjugated linoleic acid, in the concentration used in the cryopreservation media, showed no advantages on the post-thaw boar sperm viability and integrity.
Highlights
The use of artificial insemination (AI) is commonly used in the modern swine breeding industry
Whereas relatively few studies have reported the effect of unsaturated fatty acids on sperm membranes, in this study we evaluated the effect of the addition of trans-10, cis-12 isomer of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to the cryopreservation extender on the membrane integrity and viability of boar semen submitted to cryopreservation process
In an attempt to minimize the detrimental effects of the oxidative stress, the impact of CLA supplementation in the refrigeration and cryopreservation extender of refrigerated and frozenthawed boar semen was investigated by studying parameters such as motility, viability and acrosome integrity of refrigerated and frozen-thawed boar sperm in the presence of CLA
Summary
The use of artificial insemination (AI) is commonly used in the modern swine breeding industry. In order to improve cryopreservation technology, several studies have focused on understanding the mechanisms behind cryodamages, which have been shown that the extent of the cryodamage on semen is dependent on many factors, such as extender composition, freezing protocols and individual variability (Fraser et al, 2014). Among the major differences are a lower percentage of cholesterol molecules and their asymmetrical distribution in the membrane with a higher amount in the inner than the external monolayer. These structural differences could aid in understanding this reaction during cold shock (Shiomi, 2013). That quality varies widely between boars and even between ejaculates
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