Effects of Time Storage, Egg Yolk Concentration and Semen Washing on Sperm Motility in Arbia Bucks

Abstract With a prospect to improve goat artificial insemination, this study aims to evaluate the effects of storage time, egg yolk concentration and semen washing on the rate of motile spermatozoa (spz) in Arbia breed bucks semen stored at 5 °C for 48 h. Semen was collected from three mature bucks using an artificial vagina during December 2018. The ejaculates used in this study (rate of motile sperm > 75 %) were divided into two fractions: A, and B, (unwashed and washed samples, respectively): themselves divided into three fractions, and diluted in Tris-Acid citric based extenders, containing egg yolk at 2 %, 10 % and 20 %. ANOVA test was performed using the R software version 3.3.0. The rate of motile spermatozoa was evaluated after 24 and 48 hours of storage in the refrigerator at 5 °C. It registered a significant decrease as a function of the storage time in the different extenders. It varied between 42.43 ± 9.86 % and 61.29 ± 5.44 %, after 24 hours of storage, and between 35.86 ± 13.95 %, and 55.45 ± 11.65 % after 48 hours of storage. The semen washing significantly reduced the rate of motile spermatozoa in the different extenders. Increasing the concentration of egg yolk in the extender increased the rate of motile spermatozoa, especially during the first 24 hours of storage. In conclusion, the rate of spermatozoa motility of unwashed semen stored at 5 °C is higher in extenders containing high egg-yolk concentration, and decrease according to conservation time.