Effect of vitamin C supplementation on freezability of Barbari buck semen

Abstract

Thirty six ejaculates from 6 adult Barbari bucks (2–4 years old) maintained at C.I.R.G under semi intensive management system were used to find out the freezability of buck semen at different levels of vitamin C (0.0μM, 45.42μM, 56.78μM, 68.13μM) by conventional method of freezing. The ejaculates were collected twice at weekly intervals by artificial vagina. The semen samples were diluted with tris–citric acid fructose diluents having 10% (v/v) egg yolk and 6% (v/v) glycerol as cry protectant agent. The semen samples were extended to maintain sperm concentration approximately 100–120 million per dose. Filling and sealing of straws were done at 5°C in cold handling cabinet after 4h of equilibration period, then straws were vapour frozen for 10min above 2cm of liquid nitrogen and finally stored into liquid nitrogen container. Post thaw motility, live sperm count, abnormalities, acrosomal integrity and hypo osmotic swelling test were conducted to check the freezability. Post thaw motility, live sperm count, acrosomal intergrity and hypo osmotic swelling positive spermatozoa differed significantly among groups and they were the highest in 1% group. The result indicated that vitamin C at the level of 56.78μM can be used as an antioxidant in semen diluter in routine freezing process for better post thaw recovery of buck semen.