Trehalose addition to a Tris-fructose egg yolk extender on quality of ram sperm preserved at 0 °C

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the effects of various concentrations of trehalose in Tris-fructose egg yolk diluent on ram semen preservation at 0 ℃. Semen was collected by artificial vagina ejaculation from six rams of proven fertility. High-quality ejaculates were diluted with 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, and 20 mM trehalose of Tris-fructose egg yolk extender and control (tris-fructose egg yolk extender without trehalose), respectively. Then, the ejaculates were diluted to a concentration of 5×108 sperm/mL, cooled to 0 ℃ for 90 min, and maintained at that temperature for twelve days. The diluted semen samples were examined, and their sperm progressive motility, membrane functionality, and acrosome integrity recorded at 0, 24, 72, 144, 216, and 288 h. Two hundred ninety-six ewes were transcervically inseminated with the 216-h control (without trehalose) or the optimal trehalose concentration group semen, and the pregnancy and lambing rates were measured. No significant differences were established in the sperm progressive motility and membrane functionality among the control and 5, 10, 15, and 20 mM groups. The sperm samples of trehalose addition groups had no significant difference in the acrosome integrity of sperm, but they were, nonetheless, significantly higher than those in the control. No significant difference was detected in the lambing and pregnancy rates between the 5 mM and control groups. These results suggest that ram sperm is capable of fertilization after cooling and preservation at 0 ℃ by the use of 5 mM trehalose for Tris-fructose egg yolk diluent. Under these conditions, ram sperm can be more effectively preserved than under other four concentrations of diluents.