Freezability and Fertility Rates of Stallion Semen Supplemented With Trehalose in Lactose Extender.

This research article investigates the potential benefits of using trehalose, a type of sugar, to improve the quality and fertility rate of stallion semen that has been frozen and then thawed. The study found that the use of 50 mM trehalose improved various semen quality parameters and resulted in higher pregnancy rates compared to a control group.

Research Overview

The study was designed to address the issue of poor quality in stallion semen after it goes through the freezing and thawing process, a phenomenon attributed to osmotic stress experienced by the spermatozoa. The research aim was to explore how the sugar trehalose affected the quality and fertility rates of cooled and frozen-thawed stallion semen.

Materials and Methods

• The study used semen samples collected from six Marwari breed stallions.
• These samples were divided into three groups with different treatments, all using a lactose based extender but with varying levels of trehalose (0, 50, and 150 mM).
• The sperm were subjected to cryopreservation after equilibration.
• Quality parameters of the spermatozoa, including motility, acrosome integrity, plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and DNA integrity, were analyzed at fresh, prefreeze and post-thaw stages. Oxidative stress related parameters were also examined.
• 30 healthy mares were inseminated with the frozen-thawed semen enhanced with trehalose to evaluate field fertility.

Results

• The study found that extending with 50 mM of trehalose improved functional plasma membrane, acrosomal, DNA integrities, and boosted mitochondrial membrane potential of the stallion semen.
• The research also shows that trehalose supplementation to the semen extender not only improved semen parameters, but also offered protection from oxidative stress by reducing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation (LPO).
• Post-thaw progressive motility and viability were significantly increased in the group treated with 50 mM trehalose, when compared to the control group.
• When mares were inseminated with semen treated with 50 mM trehalose, there was a tendency toward higher pregnancy rates, though larger fertility trials are necessary to establish statistical significance.

Conclusion

The research concludes that the addition of 50 mM trehalose to the semen extender improved the quality of cooled and post-thawed stallion semen by reducing oxidative stress and improving motility, plasma membrane integrity, acrosomal integrity, mitochondrial potential and DNA integrity.