Comparison of Ethylene Glycol vs. Glycerol and Chukar vs. Chicken Egg Yolk in the Preservation of Stallion Spermatozoa

Date of Graduation

Summer 2006

Degree

Master of Natural and Applied Science in Agriculture

Department

College of Agriculture

Committee Chair

Gary Webb

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare ethylene glycol to glycerol, and chukar egg yolk to chicken egg yolk for the preservation of stallion semen. Following collection, aliquots of each ejaculate were centrifuged and resuspended in Kenny's skim milk glucose extender (Exodus Breeder's Supply, York, PA, U.S.A.) (SKMG), IRNA 96™ (IMV Technologies, Maple Grove, MN, U.S.A), VMD-Z (V.M.D. Berendonk, Belgium), lactose-EDTA with 20% chicken egg yolk, and lactose-EDTA with 20% chukar egg yolk. Two treatments, glycerol 5% and ethylene glycol 5%, were used with each extender. Aliquots were frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen until evaluation. There was a significant stallion effect (P=0.012), however there was not a stallion by treatment interaction. Cryoprotectant (ethylene glycol vs. glycerol) had no effect on motility or the percentage of intact acrosomes. Post thaw motility was highest in L-EDTA extender with chukar egg yolk. The substitution of chukar egg yolk for hen egg yolk improved total motily and progressive motily in frozen/thawed stallion semen. Future investigation in regards to the effect of chukar egg yolk in other freezing extenders and the fertility of the stallion spermatozoa frozen with these diluents is warranted.

Keywords

stallion, cryoprotectant, glycerol, ethylene glycol, egg yolk

Subject Categories

Agriculture

Copyright

© Rachael M. Humes

Citation-only

Dissertation/Thesis

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