The Influence of Three Commercial Soy Lecithin-Based Semen Extenders and Two Spermatozoa Concentrations on the Quality of Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Ram Epididymal Spermatozoa

Malam Abulbashar Mujitaba; Gabriella Kútvölgyi; Judit Radnai Szentpáli; Viktória Johanna Debnár; Alexandra Tokár; Nóra Vass; Szilárd Bodó

doi:10.3390/ani14081237

The Influence of Three Commercial Soy Lecithin-Based Semen Extenders and Two Spermatozoa Concentrations on the Quality of Pre-Freeze and Post-Thaw Ram Epididymal Spermatozoa

Animals (Basel). 2024 Apr 20;14(8):1237. doi: 10.3390/ani14081237.

Authors

Malam Abulbashar Mujitaba^{1

2}, Gabriella Kútvölgyi³, Judit Radnai Szentpáli⁴, Viktória Johanna Debnár³, Alexandra Tokár⁵, Nóra Vass¹, Szilárd Bodó³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Street 138, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
² Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
³ Department of Precision Livestock Farming and Animal Biotechnics, Institute of Animal Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kaposvár Campus, Guba Sándor Street 40, H-7400 Kaposvár, Hungary.
⁴ Institute of Horticultural Science, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Buda Campus, Villányi Street 29-43, H-1118 Budapest, Hungary.
⁵ Festetics György Doctoral School, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák Ferenc Street 16, H-8360 Keszthely, Hungary.

Abstract

There are limited studies on the factors affecting the success of ram epididymal spermatozoa (REPS) cryopreservation. On this note, the current study assessed the influence of three commercial soy lecithin-based semen extenders, AndroMed^® (AND), BioXcell^® (BIO), and OviXcell^® (OVI), and two concentrations (400 × 10⁶ vs. 200 × 10⁶ spermatozoa/mL) on the pre-freeze and post-thaw quality of REPS. The REPS were retrieved from nine adult rams' testes and diluted with each of the three extenders to both concentrations. Straws were frozen manually. Standard motility (SMP) and kinematic parameters (KPs) were assessed via a CASA, while spermatozoa viability, morphology, and acrosomal integrity were assessed via the Kovács-Foote staining technique. The concentration did not significantly affect the pre-freeze and post-thaw SMP and KPs of REPS. BIO and OVI had significantly higher pre-freeze and post-thaw BCFs, post-thaw VAP, and the percentage of all intact heads than AND. In contrast, AND had a significantly lower percentage of REPS with tail defects than BIO and OVI. The 400 × 10⁶ spermatozoa/mL concentration resulted in a significantly higher percentage of all intact heads than the 200 × 10⁶ spermatozoa/mL concentration. Freezing significantly increased tail defects and decreased the percentage of REPS with distal cytoplasmic droplets. The cryopreservation of REPS at the 400 × 10⁶ spermatozoa/mL concentration is recommended. All three extenders must be optimized to preserve the viability, membrane integrity, and better normal morphology of REPS; the reason for increased tail abnormality after the freezing/thawing process needs to be studied.

Keywords: AndroMed®; BioXcell®; OviXcell®; cryopreservation; membrane integrity; ram epididymal spermatozoa; soy lecithin.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Program (SH ID: 254555).