The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of encapsulation with different divalent cations and temperatures on the quality of ram spermatozoa during cold storage. Experiment 1: diluted semen was allocated randomly into three groups: control, encapsulation with calcium (Ca2+) alginate and encapsulation with barium (Ba2+) alginate. The samples were stored at two different temperatures (4 °C or 16 °C) for 24 h and subsequently examined for spermatozoa quality. Experiment 2: determination of sperm functionality by means of sperm binding was performed. Spermatozoa with and without Ba2+ alginate were cooled for 24 h and then used for sperm binding assay. Experiment 1: the progressive motility of spermatozoa in Ba2+ alginate stored at 16 °C was better than that stored at 4 °C (P = 0.042). Encapsulation with Ba2+ alginate and storage at 16 °C significantly improved progressive motility when compared to Ca2+ alginate (P < 0.001). The motility characteristics of curve velocity, straight linear velocity and amplitude lateral head displacement of Ba2+ alginate at 16 °C were higher than Ca2+ alginate (P = 0.045, P = 0.005 and P = 0.013, respectively). A low storage temperature (4 °C and 16 °C) did not markedly decrease the viability or acrosome integrity of spermatozoa, irrespective the type of crosslinking. Although the spermatozoa released from Ba2+ alginate were motile and could bind to the zona pellucida, the numbers of bound spermatozoa were significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.001, Experiment 2). In conclusion, Ba2+ alginate is preferable to Ca2+ alginate for the encapsulation of ram spermatozoa with cold storage at 16 °C.
CITATION STYLE
Thiangthientham, P., Suwimonteerabutr, J., Tharasanit, T., & Techakumphu, M. (2020). The optimal divalent cations and storage temperatures for the encapsulation of ram spermatozoa. Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 50(1), 89–96. https://doi.org/10.56808/2985-1130.3079
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