Preservation of goat semen at 5°C with emphasis on its freezability and the impact of melatonin

Abstract

Evaluation of goat semen, extended in Cornell University 16 extender, was used to study the effects of melatonin of various concentrations on sperm motility (SM) %, alive sperm (AS) % and sperm abnormalities (SA) % of extended goat semen stored at 5°C for seven days were studied. Melatonin at the doses of 0.0, 10.0, 15.0 and 20.0 μg/ 100 x 106 sperm was added to the extended semen and the samples were examined daily for the previous parameters. Additionally, the influence of melatonin on post-thawing motility was assessed.The results of the present investigation elaborated that melatonin particularly the high concentration (20.0 μg) significantly improved SM%, reduced dead sperm % and improved post-thaw sperm motility. In conclusion, the addition of melatonin (particularly 20.0 μg) induced remarkable and profound physiological actions on goat semen quality during storage for long time at 5°C and improved its freezability during preservation.