Use of Equine Sperm Cryopreservation Techniques as a Conservation Method of Donkey Germplasm.

This research article investigates the efficacy of horse semen cryopreservation techniques in conserving donkey genetic material. The study concludes that centrifugation is the most effective technique to remove donkey seminal fluid, and both automated and conventional freezing methods can be employed in conserving donkey semen.

Experiment Process

• Three male donkeys were used in the study, providing 18 ejaculates in total.
• The ejaculates were divided and subjected to two processes: filtration and centrifugation, to remove seminal plasma.
• Following this, each fraction was subjected to either an automated or traditional system for freezing.
• The groups were thus divided into four: automated centrifuge, automated filtrate, traditional centrifuge, and traditional filtrate.
• Post-thawing, the sperm kinetic parameters, the integrity, and functionality of the plasma membrane, and mitochondrial membrane potential, were all analyzed.

Results

• Higher sperm concentrations were found in the filtrate groups, supporting the use of this technique to obtain a higher concentration of sperm post-thawing.
• However, the conventional filtrate group showed less progressive motility and curvilinear velocity in comparison to the other groups, implying that the traditional freezing method is not optimal for maintaining sperm motility post-thawing.
• There was no significant variation in membrane integrity and functionality, and mitochondrial membrane potential, among the groups. This suggests that the efficacy of automated and conventional freezing in preserving these parameters is comparable.

Conclusions

• Centrifugation, as opposed to filtration, has been deemed the most suitable technique for extracting seminal plasma from donkey ejaculate.
• The automated and conventional freezing techniques can be utilized for the preservation of donkey semen, as they both successfully retain the cells’ functional characteristics.