Not AvailableThe post-thaw viability and motility of buffalo sperm are reduced significantly when they are cryopreserved. One of the etiologies of this reduced post-thaw viability and motility of buffalo sperm has been attributed to cryopreservation-associated generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sperm. Hence, there is an urgent need to address this issue by incorporating some of the external additives which can reduce or scavenge the production of ROS. Sperm were separated from seminal
plasma as it contains many identified and unidentified motility stimulating/inhibiting factors that may interfere in the interpretation of any action of external agent. Thus, in the present study, sperm were cultured in vitro in sp-TALP media, pH 7.4, at 38.5 °C for 1 hour under 5% CO2 in the absence and presence of L-penicillamine, n-acetyl cysteine and α-tocopherol acetate. The sperm kinematics was studied using computer-assisted semen analyzer (CASA). The results revealed that 0.25 mM Lpenicillamine could increase the total motility, progressive motility, rapid motility, amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) and beat cross frequency (BCF) of buffalo sperm as compared to the control group. Similarly, 600 µM -tocopherol acetate could increase the total motility, rapid motility, curvilinear velocity, straight-line velocity, ALH and BCF of sperm. However, n-acetyl cysteine at the tested concentrations (0.125-1.0 mM) could not increase the sperm kinematics parameters. Thus, Lpenicillamine and α-tocopherol acetate were found to be two promising additives for improving buffalo sperm motility. However, effect of pre-freeze addition of these additives to the semen extender on postthaw motility of buffalo sperm warrants further investigation.ICAR-NIAN
