Morphometry and in vitro fertility of epididymal sperm in swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Abstract

This research aimed to describe the morphometric and in vitro fertility of epididymal sperm in swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Three buffalo testes were obtained from the abattoir, and sperm were collected from the cauda epididymis. Morphometric and characteristics of epididymal sperm were analyzed under a phase contrast microscope, and the fertility of epididymal sperm was evaluated by assessing their ability to fertilize mature oocytes. The morphometric values for sperm head length, sperm head width, tail length, ellipticity, and elongation were 8.39±1.18 µm, 4.06±0.44 µm, 2.01±0.33, 0.33±0.07, 45.40±12.06 µm, and 72.40±12.06 µm, respectively. The mean percentages of live sperm, motility, membrane plasma integrity, and intact membrane plasma were 83.40±2.94, 76.67±5.77, 11.07±0.11, and 62.78±2.51%, respectively. The fertility of epididymal sperm was 44.50%. In conclusion, epididymal sperm have the potency to fertilize oocytes.