Abstract:

Quality of frozen semen from crossbred boars (Ib?rico x Landrace) related to centrifugation methodology

L.F. Gos?lvez, PhD; J.J. Valdelvira, MS; J.M.R. Alvari?o, PhD; X. Averos, DVM; D. Babot, PhD

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Objective: A total of 30 ejaculates from five Ibérico x Landrace boars were studied in order to establish the effect of different centrifugation conditions on semen quality after refrigeration and freezing.

Methods: The Westendorf method was used for freezing, with some variations. The factors analysed included centrifugation g-force (250g, 1010g, and 2250g), shape of centrifugation tube (spherical or conical), and phase of the freeze-thaw process. Individual boar was a random effect.

Results: There were no significant differences in semen quality associated with the shape of the centrifugation tube either for refrigerated (5°C) or thawed semen. The g-force of centrifugation did affect semen quality. In refrigerated samples centrifuged at 250g, the percentage of sperm with normal apical ridges (NAR) was lower (P < .01) and the percentage of damaged acrosomes was higher (P < .01); however, motility was unaffected. Total motility was higher (P < .01) in refrigerated semen (approximately 53%) compared to thawed semen (approximately 36%), and percentage of sperm with NAR was higher (P < .01) in refrigerated semen (approximately 67%) compared to thawed semen (approximately 31%). The influence of individual boars was not detected (P > .05).

Implications: Centrifugation at 2250g in tubes with spherical bottoms is faster and makes handling easier. Selection of boars by freezability of semen eliminates the influence of individual boars on characteristics of frozen-thawed semen.

Keywords: semen, cryopreservation, freezing, crossbreed

RIS citationCite as: Gos?lvez LF, Valdelvira JJ, Alvari?o JMR, et al. Quality of frozen semen from crossbred boars (Ib?rico x Landrace) related to centrifugation methodology. J Swine Health Prod 2004;12(2):66-70.

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