Abstract
Studies on semen and sperm cells are critical to develop assisted reproductive technologies for the conservation of the collared peccary. The objective of the study was to compare the effect of different antibiotics on the bacterial load and sperm quality during short-term storage of peccary semen. Fresh semen samples from 10 males were extended in Tris-egg yolk or Tris-Aloe vera supplemented with streptomycin-penicillin (SP; 1 mg/mL - 1000 IU/mL or 2 mg/mL - 2000 IU/mL) or gentamicin (30 µg/mL or 70 µg/mL) before storage at 5°C. Bacterial load and sperm motility, membrane integrity and function, mitochondrial activity, and morphology, were evaluated at different time points for 36 h. The SP and gentamicin treatments concentration inhibited (p < 0.05) bacterial growth for 36 h regardless of the extender. Compared to the other treatments, Tris-egg yolk plus 70 µg/mL gentamicin maintained the sperm parameters for longer, including total motility (41.9 ± 6.1%) at 24 h, and membrane integrity (58.3 ± 2.1%) at 36 h. In contrast, the highest SP concentration in both extenders impaired sperm membrane integrity at 36 h (p < 0.05). For the liquid storage of collared peccary semen, it therefore is recommended to use Tris extender supplemented with egg yolk and gentamicin (70 µg/mL).
Highlights
The collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) is a wild ungulate distributed across the American continents, having important ecological roles as seed dispersers, and serving as prey for large carnivores (Desbiez et al, 2012)
We identified various Gram positive bacteria in peccary semen, as Staphylococcus sp., Arcanobacterium sp., Bacillus sp. and Dermabacter sp. (Santos et al, 2020), which highlight some differences in the composition of reproductive microbiome among different species
A bacterial load of 2.3 ± 0.9 × 106 CFU/mL was found in fresh semen samples
Summary
The collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) is a wild ungulate distributed across the American continents, having important ecological roles as seed dispersers, and serving as prey for large carnivores (Desbiez et al, 2012) Their population has been relatively stable worldwide (Gongora et al, 2011), it has been declining in some biomes in the recent years as a consequence of anthropic actions that destroy the habitats and fragment the areas occupied by these animals (Desbiez et al, 2012). Several studies in assisted reproductive techniques have been conducted, especially regarding short-term preservation protocols of semen (Garcia et al, 2012; Souza et al, 2016) This is an important research area because optimal short-term preservation allows the exchange of genetic material between distant regions for conservation or commercial breeding peccaries (Garcia et al, 2015).
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