Soybean lecithin-based extender for cryopreservation of ram semen

Abstract EN

This study was aimed to evaluate post thawed ram semen cryopreserved using extenders supplemented with soybean lecithin as a non-animal source of lipoprotein.

five mature ossimi rams were used for semen collection.

good quality ejaculates (initial motility more than 70%) were mixed together and treated as one pooled semen sample.

a concentration of 2% soybean lecithin in Tris (hydroxy-methyl amino methane) extender was used and compared with the basic Tris-yolk extender.

pooled semen samples were diluted at the rate of 1:4(semen to extender) using the two comparable extenders and were frozen in French plastic 0.5 ml straws in liquid nitrogen.

the results on post-thaw motility, recovery rates, hypo-osmotic swelling test, abnormal sperm, acrosome reacted spermatozoa and metabolic activity showed non-significant superiority of lecithin contained extender as compared to that fundamentally contained egg yolk.

it is concluded that replacing the fundamental egg yolk by soy bean lecithin in formulating ram semen extenders could be useful for better post-thaw quality of spermatozoa.