In vitro comparison of soybean lecithin-based extenders for cryopreservation of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) semen

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to compare the quality of frozen buffalo semen processed in tris-citric egg yolk extender with two different commercially available soybean lecithin-based extenders. Split pooled ejaculates, possessing more than 70 % visual sperm motility were divided in three aliquots and diluted in AndroMed®, Bioxcell®, or tris-citric egg yolk (TCE) extenders. Post-thaw motion characteristics, viability, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome morphology, and DNA integrity of buffalo sperm were studied after thawing and incubation for 4 h. Results demonstrate that total motility in frozen–thawed semen processed in TCE extender were similar when compared with AndroMed® or Bioxcell® extenders (P > 0.05). Kinematic parameters, such as average path velocity and linearity index in the soybean lecithin-based extenders were comparatively superior to TCE extender. After 4 h of incubation, proportions of overall and progressive motility decreased in all extenders but were comparatively superior in soybean lecithin-based extenders than TCE extender (P 0.05). The post-thaw sperm viability was comparatively superior in soybean lecithin-based extenders than TCE after incubation at 37 °C for 4 h (P < 0.05). The type of extender had not been the significant effect on the percentage of spermatozoa with DNA damage after thawing and incubation for 4 h. In addition, our results suggest that soybean lecithin base extenders can be used as a substitute for tris-citric egg yolk extender in cryopreservation of buffalo semen.